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Gulf

Saudi Arabia Reiterates Support for Political Solutions in Yemen, Syria, Libya

King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting from Neom. (SPA)
King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting from Neom. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reiterates Support for Political Solutions in Yemen, Syria, Libya

King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting from Neom. (SPA)
King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting from Neom. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom’s support for achieving security and stability in the region.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet session that was held virtually in Neom due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The cabinet renewed Riyadh’s support for political solutions to be reached in the crises raging in Yemen, Syria and Libya.

The ministers highlighted during their meeting the remarks of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, at the World Economic Forum last week. The Crown Prince had underscored Saudi Arabia’s efforts in bolstering development, supporting stability in the region, maintaining global energy supplies and boosting economic cooperation with various partners in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The cabinet expressed pride in Saudi Arabia’s rapid transformations and reforms in line with the vision, including doubling non-oil revenues, empowering women in the job market, raising the competitiveness of the local work environment and establishing the Public Investment Fund.

The ministers also tackled the latest local and international developments related to the pandemic. They noted the drop in new infections and active and critical cases in the Kingdom, underlining the wide vaccination campaign aimed at achieving herd immunity.

On regional affairs, the government stressed the need to reach a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict according to international agreements and the 2002 Arab peace initiative. It underscored the importance of resuming negotiations between the two sides in order to achieve peace in the region.

It also renewed the Kingdom’s condemnation of the terrorist Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen for their violation of the Stockholm Agreement and continued hostilities in the Hodeidah province, which they have transformed into a platform to launch ballistic missiles, armed drones and booby-trapped vessels.

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Gulf

UAE Halts All Trade, Financial Dealings with Iran after Attack

Tuesday's announcement is the latest measure against Iran by the UAE after it recalled its ambassador early in the conflict. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Tuesday's announcement is the latest measure against Iran by the UAE after it recalled its ambassador early in the conflict. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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UAE Halts All Trade, Financial Dealings with Iran after Attack

Tuesday's announcement is the latest measure against Iran by the UAE after it recalled its ambassador early in the conflict. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Tuesday's announcement is the latest measure against Iran by the UAE after it recalled its ambassador early in the conflict. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The United Arab Emirates has said it is suspending all trade and financial dealings with Iran after reporting an Iranian missile attack directed at its ships.

The announcement comes after a period of relative calm in the UAE, with no Iranian missiles aimed at the country since May after it bore the brunt of attacks in the early weeks of the Middle East war.

Abu Dhabi has however accused Tehran of repeatedly targeting its tankers at sea in recent weeks.

"In light of regional escalations... all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice," said UAE foreign ministry communications director Afra Al Hameli.

The UAE is home to a sizeable Iranian community and has been a major trading partner for US-sanctioned Iran, at least before the war.

Tuesday's announcement is the latest measure against Iran by the UAE after it recalled its ambassador early in the conflict.

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Abu Dhabi on Tuesday accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the country, the first such attack since May.

It later said the salvo was directed at shipping, but Tehran denied firing missiles at the UAE.

"UAE air defenses detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran towards the country, with the first falling outside the country's territorial waters, while the second fell within the territorial waters," the UAE ministry said in a statement posted to social media.

A second statement released later said the missiles "were targeting maritime navigation and fell into the sea".

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei "categorically rejected the United Arab Emirates' claim that Iran had launched a missile towards that country", calling it harmful to regional trust and security efforts.

The first UAE statement came nearly two hours after a phone alert that warned residents of a "potential missile threat".

It was the first such alert since a false alarm in June and an alert in July for an attack that ultimately did not enter UAE territory.

Before that, the last missile warning came in early May.

However, tankers belonging to the UAE's state-owned oil company ADNOC have been repeatedly targeted in the past few weeks.

When the Middle East war began on February 28, the UAE bore the brunt of Iran's attacks, with nearly 3,000 missiles and drones directed at the country -- more than anywhere else in the region.

After a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States came into effect in June, which has since collapsed, the UAE reported no attacks, unlike other Gulf states.

Gulf

MWL, GCC Condemn Israeli Airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase

A man rides a motorbike in the town of Abu al-Duhur, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)
A man rides a motorbike in the town of Abu al-Duhur, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)
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MWL, GCC Condemn Israeli Airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase

A man rides a motorbike in the town of Abu al-Duhur, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)
A man rides a motorbike in the town of Abu al-Duhur, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)

The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned on Tuesday the Israeli airstrikes targeting Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase, saying they are a violation of all international laws and norms.

In a statement, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa slammed “the aggression against the sovereignty and resources of Syria”, reiterating the league's “full solidarity” with the country in confronting threats to its security, sovereignty and people.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi also strongly condemned the attack.

“The brutal Israeli targeting of Syrian territory is an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty and territorial sanctity, contradicting international rules and norms that prohibit infringing upon state sovereignty,” he said.

Such continued practices raise tension and escalation and undermine regional and international efforts aimed at achieving security and stability in the region, he warned.

Albudaiwi called on the international community to assume its responsibilities, take a firm stance against these violations, and work to halt Israeli attacks on Syrian territory to safeguard its security and stability.

He reiterated the GCC states' solidarity with Syria, and support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli Airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Military Airport

The Abu al-Duhur base following the Israeli strikes, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)
The Abu al-Duhur base following the Israeli strikes, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli Airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Military Airport

The Abu al-Duhur base following the Israeli strikes, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)
The Abu al-Duhur base following the Israeli strikes, Syria, August 18, 2026. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned on Tuesday Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Military Airport.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom slammed the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law and Syria's sovereignty.”

“The Kingdom stresses its rejection of this blatant act of aggression and renews its call on the international community to put an end to Israel’s violations of international laws and norms,” it demanded.

It reiterated its solidarity with Syria and “support for all efforts aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty, preserving the integrity and unity of its territory, and achieving security and stability for the brotherly Syrian people.”