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SABN RIYADH/WASHINGTON, April 14 - The U.S. Treasury Department has warned financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Oman about the risks of doing business with Iran, and threatened secondary sanctions against banks that continue to support Iranian activities, according to a letter seen by the Associated Press. The letter accused the jurisdictions of allowing Iranian illicit financial activity to pass through their institutions and said Iran had

SPA RIYADH/JEDDAH, April 14 - Saudi Arabia's cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, condemned what it described as Iranian attacks on the kingdom and praised the armed forces for defending the country and protecting its assets, state news agency SPA reported. The cabinet also commended rapid operational and technical efforts that restored production at affected energy facilities, saying the swift recovery demonstrated the resilience of the kingdom's

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, takes his seat, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Islamabad, for a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance about Iran. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) RIYADH/ISLAMABAD, April 14 - Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday on recent talks between the United States and Iran and said he would visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey this week to support peace efforts, according to a statement from the pres

Finland President Alexander Stubb, left, attends a joint statement with France’s President Emmanuel Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 at the Elysee Palace in Paris (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla; Pool) RIYADH/WASHINGTON, April 14 - Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Iran currently holds the upper hand in its conflict with Israel and the United States because it controls the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a large share of the world's oil supplies passes. Speaking at an

People shop ahead of the holy month of Ramadan at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 22, 2023. REUTERS RIYADH/DUBAI, April 13 - Sales at Europe's biggest luxury brands have fallen sharply in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the Iran conflict disrupted what had been one of the industry's fastest-growing markets, in the latest setback for the $400 billion global luxury sector. Sales at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai fell 30% to 50% in March from a year earl

China's foreign minister Wang Yi attends a press conference for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing on March 8, Iori Sagisawa/Pool/AFP/Getty Images RIYADH, April 14 - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that blockading Iranian ports did not serve the international community's common interests and called for greater efforts to promote peace talks and preserve the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. In a phone call with Pak

RIYADH, April 13 - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Monday to discuss what Tehran described as risks stemming from provocative U.S. actions to block Iranian ports, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. In his call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Araghchi said Iran had acted in good faith by accepting a ceasefire with the United States, but accused Washington of undermining negotiat

WAM RIYADH, April 13 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Bahrain on Monday, where the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and regional developments. The meeting focused on cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and ways to strengthen relations in support of shared interests and development priorities. The two leaders also discussed developments in the Middle East and

SPA RIYADH, April 13 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call on Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss the latest developments following recent peace negotiations between Iran and the United States. The call focused on diplomatic developments after the talks, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry. No further details were announced.

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad on Sunday. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AFP/Getty Images WASHINGTON, April 13 - The White House said on Sunday that Iran had not agreed during weekend talks in Pakistan to key U.S. demands for a deal, including ending uranium enrichment, dismantling major nuclear facilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. A White House official said President Donald T

RIYADH, April 12, 2026, Saudi Arabia Breaking News - Saudi Arabia has restored full pumping capacity through its East-West pipeline and recovered lost output at the Manifa oilfield following attacks that disrupted parts of the kingdom’s energy infrastructure, the Energy Ministry said on Sunday. The ministry said operational and technical teams had restored the pipeline’s full pumping capacity of about 7 million barrels per day within a short period, according to a statement c

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner walk with Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for peace talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via REUTERS ISLAMABAD, April 11 (Reuters) - The United States has agreed to release Iranian frozen assets h

REUTERS PARIS, April 9 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Iran will allow no more than 15 vessels a day to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under its ceasefire agreement with the United States, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing a senior Iranian source. The move would leave tight restrictions in place on one of the world's most important shipping lanes after weeks of disruption linked to the conflict. The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is the main e

GIORGIA MELONI | INSTAGRAM ROME, April 9 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday that Israel must halt its military escalation in Lebanon and guarantee the safety of U.N. peacekeepers after Israeli forces fired warning shots that damaged an Italian convoy serving with UNIFIL, drawing sharp condemnation from Rome. Meloni told parliament that Italy supported Lebanon's territorial sovereignty and efforts to disarm Hezbollah, while al

SABN TEHRAN, April 9 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned on Thursday that continued Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would trigger "explicit costs and STRONG responses," as disputes over the scope of a fragile two-week ceasefire threatened to deepen regional tensions. Qalibaf said in a post on X that ceasefire violations would draw a strong response and urged that the fighting be stopped immediately. Iranian officials

SPA RIYADH, April 9 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday, with the two sides discussing current developments and steps to reduce tensions and restore regional security and stability. The call came as regional diplomacy intensified around efforts to contain the fallout from the Iran war and prevent a wider escalation. It was the first publicly announced contact