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British Minister: Iran Poses a Threat to Security of Middle East Partners, Global Trade

British Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad (Asharq Al-Awsat)
British Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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British Minister: Iran Poses a Threat to Security of Middle East Partners, Global Trade

British Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad (Asharq Al-Awsat)
British Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Iran poses an unacceptable threat to the security of the partners in the Middle East and global trade, said British Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad.

According to the Arab News Agency, Ahmad tweeted that the UK would continue to work with the US and other members of the International Maritime Security Construct to "deter Iranian aggression and protect freedom of navigation."

The US forces prevented two attempted commercial tanker seizures by the Iranian Navy earlier this week after the Iranians had opened fire in one of the incidents near the coast of Oman. Both of these incidents occurred in international waters.

The statement said that the US Navy received a distress call from Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager while the ship was more than 20 miles off Muscat, Oman, and transiting international waters toward the Arabian Sea.

Another Iranian naval vessel had closed within one mile of Richmond Voyager while hailing the commercial tanker to stop.

An Iranian defense source denied the US Navy accusations.

In May, the US Fifth Fleet said the United States was working with allies and regional partners to increase the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling the Strait of Hormuz with partners following an uptick in Iranian merchant vessel seizures.

The increased force presence supports multinational efforts under the International Maritime Security Construct and bilaterally with partner nations to deter threats to commercial shipping and reassure regional mariners.

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Arab World

US Envoy Accuses UK of Antisemitism over Gaza Criticism

Britain's Foreign Minister Ed Miliband arrives to attend an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers at Druids Glen in Wicklow, south of Dublin, Ireland, on September 2, 2026. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)
Britain's Foreign Minister Ed Miliband arrives to attend an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers at Druids Glen in Wicklow, south of Dublin, Ireland, on September 2, 2026. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)
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US Envoy Accuses UK of Antisemitism over Gaza Criticism

Britain's Foreign Minister Ed Miliband arrives to attend an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers at Druids Glen in Wicklow, south of Dublin, Ireland, on September 2, 2026. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)
Britain's Foreign Minister Ed Miliband arrives to attend an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers at Druids Glen in Wicklow, south of Dublin, Ireland, on September 2, 2026. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)

The US ambassador to Israel on Saturday accused ally Britain's government of antisemitism after its top diplomat described the situation in Gaza as "horrific".

"The Brits have lost it. The Jew hate of their government knows no boundaries and knows no facts," Ambassador Mike Huckabee wrote on X of remarks by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, the son of Jewish refugees to Britain.

While President Donald Trump has often criticized allies, such loaded remarks by a US official are unusual against Britain, among the closest US allies, said AFP.

Miliband posted a video in which he described a meeting on Gaza and said that the British government had to take action.

"Frankly, it was horrific what is unfolding. You know, the stories that people were telling me of medicines being blocked, children dying while waiting for vital life-saving equipment," Miliband said in the video.

The Israeli foreign ministry accused him of ignoring facts and "making a video for a political audience".

The Israeli foreign ministry said that 22,500 tons of medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip since a US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025, which has reduced but not ended the violence with Israel routinely striking what it says are Hamas targets.

The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said in June that while more aid has been entering Gaza, it was not enough, with Israel restricting goods it says could have dual use -- including, at times, prosthetic limbs, he said.

Aid groups say Israel's restrictions on engine oil and spare parts have also made it difficult to operate hospitals and other medical infrastructure.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office in July, has said his predecessor Keir Starmer was too soft on Israel.

His government has said it is planning measures in response to rising attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, a move that Israel says will trigger retaliation.

Arab World

Israel Army Says Striking Southern Lebanon, Urges Evacuation

04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. Photo: Abdul Kader Al Bay/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. Photo: Abdul Kader Al Bay/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Israel Army Says Striking Southern Lebanon, Urges Evacuation

04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. Photo: Abdul Kader Al Bay/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. Photo: Abdul Kader Al Bay/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The Israeli military said on Sunday it was carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched drones at its soldiers, and urged residents of the town of Arab Salim to evacuate. 

The Israeli army said in statement that “terrorists from the Hezbollah terrorist organization launched two drones” towards the Israeli army “operating in the Security Zone in southern Lebanon” and that the military in response is now striking in southern Lebanon. It added that there were no reports of Israeli soldiers wounded. 

In another message, the Israeli military warned residents of Arab Salim to leave ahead of imminent attacks. 

"You are situated near a facility belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah”, against which the Israeli army will be operating, it wrote in Arabic on Telegram. 

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in March after Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel, which responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people. 

Violence has lessened since a US-Iran memorandum of understanding on the broader conflict in June and a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon later that month. 

Israeli forces are operating inside a self-declared "security zone" around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanon along the border. 

Authorities in Lebanon said on Saturday that Israeli strikes killed four people in the country's south and east. 

Arab World

Iraqis Queue for Fuel as Regional War Disrupts Imports

An Iraq's traffic police officer controls the queues at a petrol station in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on September 5, 2026. (AFP)
An Iraq's traffic police officer controls the queues at a petrol station in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on September 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Iraqis Queue for Fuel as Regional War Disrupts Imports

An Iraq's traffic police officer controls the queues at a petrol station in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on September 5, 2026. (AFP)
An Iraq's traffic police officer controls the queues at a petrol station in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on September 5, 2026. (AFP)

Drivers formed long lines outside fuel stations in Baghdad on Saturday as gasoline supplies dropped in oil-rich Iraq due to import disruptions caused by the Middle East war.

Despite being OPEC's second largest oil producer, Iraq imports oil derivatives because its refineries do not produce enough gasoline to meet domestic demand.

In recent weeks, as regional hostilities drag on, long queues have been reappearing every few days, mostly outside government-run fuel stations in Baghdad and other provinces.

Baghdad resident Ibrahim Hashem waited for two hours outside a fuel station on Friday without any luck, only to return early the next day hoping to fill his car.

"It is unreasonable that we produce so many barrels of oil a day, yet still do not have enough gasoline to meet our daily needs," Hashem told AFP outside a fuel station in central Baghdad.

"We already suffer from traffic congestion because of the roads and lack of services. Now, it has become worse due to the gasoline shortage," he added.

Iraq's average daily consumption of gasoline is 33 million liters, but demand rises to 38 million when people panic over shortages, according to authorities.

The oil ministry said Friday that "regional events and the ongoing conflict are causing logistical challenges to tanker traffic, delaying their arrival at Iraqi ports."

It urged citizens to buy only the quantities they need and avoid crowding fuel stations for small amounts of gasoline.

Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair said on Friday that his ministry was addressing the "temporary shortage of gasoline" and that new shipments will arrive soon to help stabilize supplies.

Like other oil producers, Iraq has been greatly affected by the US-Iran conflict, which has choked off the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq is hugely dependent on oil exports, which make up about 90 percent of its budget revenues.

Before the war erupted in February, Iraq produced around four million barrels per day, and exported an average of 3.4 million bpd, mostly via Hormuz.

After a significant drop, Iraqi oil exports recovered to more than 2.2 million bpd in August, according to the oil ministry.

Last month, Iran's state news agency IRNA said that over the past six months, Tehran has granted permission to "a number of Iraqi oil tankers" to pass through Hormuz.