Palestine

Russian businesses in Middle East slow activity as conflict disrupts deals

Ben Aris in Berlin March 28, 2026

There are 14,000 Russian companies registered in the UAE, and 150,000 Russians live there. Without the need for visas and the can-do attitude to business, Dubai has become a favourite destination for Russian entrepreneurs escaping from sanctions.

Anti-Trump protests outweigh supporter rallies - Statista

Katharina Buchholz for Statista March 28, 2026

Protests in the United States against President Donald Trump or the Trump administration by far outweigh rallies organized by Trump supporters, Statista reports.

COMMENT: Could Iran target undersea cables?

External contributor March 28, 2026

Iran's deadliest weapon is not airborne. Seventeen submarine cables on the Persian Gulf floor carry 30% of global internet traffic and the world's financial bloodstream. The IRGC may already have orders to cut them.

Iran claims F-16 shot down and Ukrainian anti-drone depot destroyed in Dubai

bnm Gulf bureau March 28, 2026

Iran's IRGC claims it downed a US MQ-9 over Shiraz, struck an F-16 over Fars province and destroyed a Ukrainian anti-drone depot in Dubai killing 21 personnel, as wave 85 of its missile campaign continues.

Second attack on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power station raises Chernobyl radiation cloud spectre

Ben Aris in Berlin March 28, 2026

A second missile attack in the proximity to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant (NPP) has raised the spectre of a Chernobyl-like cloud of radiation drifting over the Gulf region, making some countries uninhabitable and poisoning the water.

Crisis-virus: From disruption to destruction

Ben Aris in Berlin March 27, 2026

“We are facing a real shock that is probably beyond what we can imagine at the moment,” said European Central Bank (ECB) head Christine Lagarde in a recent interview.

US Treasury bill market under growing strain from Middle East turmoil

Ben Aris in Berlin March 27, 2026

The $30 trillion US Treasury market is exhibiting mounting signs of stress as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East trigger heightened volatility in government bonds that underpin the global financial system.

Iran war creates perfect storm for the petrodollar - Deutsche Bank

Ben Aris in Berlin March 27, 2026

The world was already dedollarising thanks to rising East-West tensions and the US decision to weaponize the dollar in 2022 by seizing the Russian central bank’s reserves. Trump has gone a step further.

Iran war is Asia's Ukraine moment, rapid green energy rollout will accelerate

Ben Aris in Berlin March 27, 2026

Three quarters of the world's population live in fossil importing countries and bleed out at least 3% of GDP every year to import oil to run their cars and power plants.

Israel, US have armed themselves for the wrong war

Ben Aris in Berlin March 27, 2026

The Israeli Army took its heaviest tank losses in over 40 years after Hezbollah ambushes destroyed 21 Merkavas main battle tanks in a single day on March 26. Israel and the US have armed themselves for the wrong war.

Qatar Airways parks 22 jets at Spain's Teruel airport as Gulf War continues

bnm Gulf bureau March 27, 2026

Qatar Airways has parked 22 jets at Spain's Teruel airport in under a week as Gulf airspace closures force carriers to store surplus capacity, echoing fleet grounding patterns last seen during Covid-19.

Fitch keeps Israel credit rating at A with negative outlook as war costs mount

bnm Gulf bureau March 27, 2026

Fitch has kept Israel's credit rating at A with a negative outlook, forecasting a 5.7% deficit in 2026 and warning that debt will keep rising beyond 2028 unless post-war fiscal consolidation is pursued.

Iran’s Ghalibaf mocks US ability to protect troops on Iranian soil

bnm Gulf bureau March 27, 2026

Iran's parliament speaker Ghalibaf has publicly mocked the US military's ability to protect its troops in the region.

Russia selling oil at premium as Hormuz disruption tightens global supply

bnm Gulf bureau March 27, 2026

Russia is now selling oil at a premium on some routes as Strait of Hormuz disruption tightens global supply, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said, marking a sharp reversal from post-sanctions discounts.

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia sign defence cooperation deal as Zelenskiy visits Riyadh

bnm Gulf bureau March 27, 2026

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed a defence cooperation deal, with Kyiv offering hard-won air defence expertise against Iranian drones and missiles in exchange for Saudi capabilities and potential investment.

Iran drives US military out of all thirteen of its gulf military bases

Ben Aris in Berlin March 26, 2026

Iran has driven the US military out of all thirteen of its Gulf military bases, The New York Times (NYT) reported on March 25.

Saudi Arabia boosts Red Sea oil exports to 4.4mn b/d

Ben Aris in Berlin March 26, 2026

Saudi Arabia has sharply increased crude exports from its Red Sea terminals at Yanbu as it diverts shipments away from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, where flows have been severely disrupted since late February, according to Bloomberg.

UAE advances alternative trade route to bypass Strait of Hormuz

Ben Aris in Berlin March 26, 2026

The United Arab Emirates is accelerating efforts to establish a new trade corridor linking its eastern seaboard to Saudi Arabia, to bypass the Strait of Hormuz bottleneck.

Iran claims 1,321 Israeli and 800 US troops killed since war began

bnm Gulf bureau March 26, 2026

Iran's armed forces spokesman has claimed over 1,300 Israeli and up to 800 US troops killed in the conflict, figures that cannot be independently verified and which neither Washington nor Tel Aviv has confirmed.

Israel targeting civilians in southern Lebanon invasion

Ben Aris in Berlin March 26, 2026

Israel is deliberately targeting residential buildings and populated areas in an attempt to depopulate southern Lebanon, according to reports.

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