Saudi Arabia unveils 14-nation coalition to protect Red Sea shipping
Riyadh announced the multinational maritime defense alliance on July 30, as US naval presence in the region draws down and Houthi attacks pressure the kingdom's western ports.
MENA News
Dated regional events — verified announcements, decisions and milestones across MENA.
US suspends strikes on Iran; oil falls more than 5 percent
Washington paused its air campaign over the last weekend of July, Tehran held fire, and Brent dropped over five percent as markets bet the pause gives space for diplomacy over the Strait of Hormuz.
Syria's transitional government reaches midyear with reform tests ahead
Six months after the January ceasefire with the SDF, the interim administration is courting foreign investment and drafting a constitution while security challenges and a slow reconstruction economy define the baseline.
IMF cuts MENA growth to 1.1 percent on the Iran war
The Fund's July 8 update slashes the Middle East and Central Asia outlook to 0.7 percent for 2026, with MENA at 1.1 percent, as the war's supply shock and Hormuz closure ripple through the region's economies.
MENA teams open the 2026 World Cup: Morocco and Qatar flying, others wounded
Morocco and Qatar opened their North American campaigns with encouraging results while Tunisia, Iraq, Algeria and Jordan suffered heavy first-match defeats, a split opening for the region's seven-team delegation.
Iraq's new customs duties set off merchant protests across the country
Demonstrations spread in early July over tariff measures merchants say squeeze an import economy already hit by war-driven trade costs, landing on a government navigating militia disarmament deadlines.