Qatar Calls for Lasting Stop to Sudan’s Fighting

Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meet in Doha
Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meet in Doha
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Qatar Calls for Lasting Stop to Sudan’s Fighting

Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meet in Doha
Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meet in Doha

Sudan's army chief traveled to Qatar on Thursday for talks with the country's emir, making his third international trip since fighting broke out between the military and the Rapid Support Forces in mid-April.

Sudan plunged into chaos almost five months ago, when long-simmering tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, escalated into open warfare on April 15.

During the visit, Burhan and the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, discussed the challenges facing conflict-stricken Sudan.

The talks took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, according to a statement by the Emiri Diwan media outlet.

Al Thani reiterated his call for broad peace negotiations between all of Sudan's political forces and a lasting stop to the fighting, the statement said.

Sudan's acting Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq and Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim Mufadel, head of the General Intelligence Authority, accompanied Burhan on the trip, Sudan's state run SUNA news agency said.

The visit comes amid a flurry of similar diplomatic meetings convened in Egypt and South Sudan, where Burhan held talks on Monday with South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir.

Last week, the general met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the Egyptian coastal city of el-Alamein, in Burhan's first trip abroad since Sudan's conflict erupted.



Saudi Interior Minister, Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security Discuss Regional Security Development

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Interior Minister, Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security Discuss Regional Security Development

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received a phone call on Sunday from Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs of the Republic of Singapore K Shanmugam.

During the call, the two officials discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and current security developments amid the Iranian attacks targeting regional security and stability, SPA reported.

They also affirmed the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation and coordination in support of regional security and stability, in addition to discussing a number of topics of mutual interest.

Shanmugam expressed his country's condemnation of the Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, affirming Singapore's solidarity with the Kingdom and the GCC states in all measures aimed at enhancing security and stability.


Saudi Arabia Condemns Riots Targeting UAE Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Riots Targeting UAE Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday the riots, assaults, and attempted vandalism that targeted the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the residence of its head of mission in Damascus.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom also slammed the “unacceptable offenses directed at the national symbols of the brotherly UAE.”

The ministry stressed the Kingdom’s “rejection of these attacks and all forms of violence against diplomats, stressing the need to ensure the protection of diplomats and diplomatic missions in line with relevant international laws and conventions.”

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi also slammed the attack against the UAE embassy in Damascus, urging Syrian authorities to hold those responsible to account.


Oman, Iran Hold Talks on Strait of Hormuz

Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)
Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)
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Oman, Iran Hold Talks on Strait of Hormuz

Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)
Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)

Oman and Iran held talks on easing passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the Omani state news agency reported Sunday, with the key shipping chokepoint effectively closed due to war in the Middle East.

"Oman and Iran held a meeting at the deputy ministers level in the foreign ministries of the two countries, with the attendance of specialists from both sides, during which the possible options were discussed regarding ensuring the smooth passage through the Strait of Hormuz," the news agency posted on X.

"The experts from both sides put forward a number of visions and proposals regarding it," it added.