All posts tagged: UAE

Italy’s Meloni Visits Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE Amid Gulf Tensions, Energy Worries

Italy’s Meloni Visits Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE Amid Gulf Tensions, Energy Worries

Published by Sam Flores

By Angelo Amante and Crispian Balmer ROME, April 3 (Reuters) – ⁠Italian ⁠Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to ⁠Saudi Arabia on Friday for a previously unannounced trip that will ​also include meetings in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, a government official said. Meloni travelled to Jeddah ‌for the first visit by a ‌European Union leader to Saudi Arabia since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war against ⁠Iran in February ⁠and was due to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later ​in the day, the official said. The same source, who asked not to be named, said the two-day visit was mainly aimed at showing support for Gulf partners facing Iranian attacks and protecting Italy’s own energy ​supplies, as the government grapples with rising fuel prices. The official said Italy would confirm the ⁠intention ⁠of its majors – including energy ⁠giant Eni – ​to keep investing in the Gulf. Italy is already supplying Gulf partners with defensive weapons against ​Iranian retaliatory attacks and is ⁠open to assessing further requests should they be made, the official …

Iran attacks cause fire in Kuwait, Bahrain; kill man in UAE | US-Israel war on Iran News

Iran attacks cause fire in Kuwait, Bahrain; kill man in UAE | US-Israel war on Iran News

Published by Sam Flores

Shrapnel from an Iranian drone interception kills a Bangladeshi national in the UAE’s Fujairah city. Iran’s drones have hit fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international airport, causing a large blaze, and authorities in Bahrain have reported a fire at an undisclosed company facility, as the United States-Israel war on Iran continues for a fifth ⁠week. Abdullah al-Rajhi, a spokesman for the General Directorate of Civil Aviation in Kuwait, on Wednesday said the airport had been subjected to “brazen attacks by drones from Iran and the armed factions it supports”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The raids targeted fuel tanks at the airport, “leading to a large fire breaking out at the site”, al-Rajhi was quoted as saying by the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). Emergency teams were on site, and “the damage is material with no human injuries,” he said. Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior said civil defence crews were “extinguishing a fire in a facility of a company as a result of the Iranian aggression”. “Relevant authorities are taking their measures at the …

UAE Will Be Pounded If US Invades, Iranian Officials Warn

UAE Will Be Pounded If US Invades, Iranian Officials Warn

Published by Jenni Sidey

Via Middle East Eye Tehran believes the United Arab Emirates is playing an active role in the US-Israeli war on Iran and any ground invasion could lead to widespread attacks on Emirati state assets, two senior Iranian sources told Middle East Eye. A month into the conflict, which has battered global markets, Donald Trump is weighing whether to use ground troops to seize strategic islands in the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt to stop Iran from disrupting energy supplies. Attention has particularly focused on Kharg Island, the hub through which roughly 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports flow, and Qashm Island which overlooks the strait. Such an operation would probably be launched from US bases in Gulf Arab states, which have come under Iranian attack in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have killed at least 1,900 people so far. Explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone from Iranian attack on UAE on March 3, via AFP. Anti-Iranian sentiment has grown in Arab Gulf states, where retaliatory strikes have hit various targets, including key energy infrastructure. Combative rhetoric has particularly come from the …

As many as 70 Brits detained in UAE over Iran war images under ‘draconian’ laws, claims group | World News

As many as 70 Brits detained in UAE over Iran war images under ‘draconian’ laws, claims group | World News

Published by Sam Flores

Up to 70 UK citizens have been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for taking photos and videos of Iranian attacks, it has been claimed by a British-based campaign group. Detained in Dubai chief executive Radha Stirling said she believed dozens of Britons had been arrested in the UAE for sharing war images under the country’s “draconian” cybercrime laws. “We’re talking approaching 50 to 70 was my estimate and possibly even more. I think by the end of this we’ll see a lot more, possibly 100, maybe 150,” she told Sky News. Image: Radha Stirling But the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was only providing consular assistance to a “small number” of UK citizens detained over these issues in the Gulf nation. “We are providing consular assistance to a small number of British nationals detained in the UAE in connection with this issue, and our ambassador is engaging with the Emirati authorities about their cases,” an FCDO spokesperson said. Image: Damage from a drone strike at the Address Creek Harbour hotel …

Ukraine, UAE agree to cooperate on defence, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine, UAE agree to cooperate on defence, Zelenskyy says

Published by Sam Flores

KYIV: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday (Mar 28) he had met with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and that they had agreed to cooperate in the field of security and defence. “Our teams will finalise the details,” Zelenskyy said on the Telegram app. The two leaders tackled opportunities to advance bilateral cooperation under the Comprehensive Economic Agreement between the two sides, the Emirati state news agency WAM said, without further elaborating. They also discussed the security developments and military escalation in the region and their impact on international navigation and the global economy, WAM added. Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, where the Saudi defence ministry signed an agreement on defence cooperation with Ukraine’s defence ministry. The Ukrainian leader also arrived in Qatar on Saturday. Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Friday that Kyiv was close to clinching several security agreements, including with the UAE and Qatar, to counter Iranian attacks. UKRAINE HAS AIR DEFENCE, DRONE EXPERTISE Ukraine has offered its air-defence expertise and drone technology to countries …

UAE Pushes For Hormuz Security Force, While Turkey Argues Against Gulf Entry Into War

UAE Pushes For Hormuz Security Force, While Turkey Argues Against Gulf Entry Into War

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s one of those things that sounds nice on paper, but when missiles and drones are inbound, no one is going to want to be on a military ship sitting in the middle of the Strait of Hormuz: the United Arab Emirates, which has been among the hardest-impacted Gulf states in Iran’s ongoing retaliation, is pressing for a multinational maritime ​taskforce to reopen vital oil transit waterway, the Financial Times reports ‌Friday. The UAE, with a navy that’s not really going to strike fear into any enemy (much less the Iranians), says it is willing to participate in a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait and escort shipping. Dozens of countries are being asked to join, sources cited in FT say. Source: Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company And yet for all the public posturing and signing of ‘symbolic statements’ – not a single country with a strong military has actually stepped up with a concrete offer to provide warships and military assets (other than Israel, which is a direct party to the war). This is despite that for …

Qatar, Kuwait, UAE… Iranian reprisals disrupt daily life across the Gulf

Qatar, Kuwait, UAE… Iranian reprisals disrupt daily life across the Gulf

Published by Sam Flores

Missiles intercepted in Qatar; two drones causing damage at an airbase near a major US military site in Kuwait; an oil facility hit and ports threatened in the UAE… Gulf countries continue to pay the price of war every day, more than two weeks after the start of Operation Epic Fury launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. Story by Morgan Ayre and Loïc Chalavon. Keywords for this article Source link

Gulf Countries Report New Attacks After Iran Warns Major UAE Ports to Evacuate

Gulf Countries Report New Attacks After Iran Warns Major UAE Ports to Evacuate

Published by Sam Flores

Gulf countries reported new attacks Sunday morning, a day after Iran called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates, threatening for the first time a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets. Tehran accused the United States of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports, without providing evidence, as the war showed no signs of ending. U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped allies would send warships to help secure the vital Strait of ​Hormuz. Dubai authorities say a drone hit a fuel tank at its airport The Dubai Media Office said civil defense crews were working to bring a fire that erupted at Dubai International Airport under control following a drone strike. No injuries were immediately reported, it added. The airport, located close to the city center in Dubai, is one of the busiest international airports in the world. Trump says he demanded ‘about 7’ countries join coalition to police Strait of Hormuz Trump said Sunday …