World ✳
Trump sends secret Saudi nuclear deal to Congress, linked to Israel ties
President Trump has sent Congress a classified agreement to help Saudi Arabia build a civilian nuclear program.
#Saudi Arabia
Analysis ✳
War, an unexplained ship incident and pirates hit three sea routes in one week
In the same week, Russia stepped up bombing of Ukraine's Odesa port to cut it off from the Black Sea, an unexplained incident was reported in the Strait of Hormuz (the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that much of the world's oil passes through), and Somali pirates hijacked a cargo ship, their fifth attack since April.
Analysis ✳
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Defense Pact, Part of Wider Trend Away From US
On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a pact in Mecca promising to defend each other if attacked, similar to NATO's rule that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
World ✳
UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea ships
The United Nations Security Council issued a joint statement condemning missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement, an armed group backed by Iran, on Saudi Arabia.
World ✳
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agree to defend each other militarily
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a new pact promising to defend one another if attacked, as unrest spreads across the Middle East.
Analysis ✳
Saudi Arabia forms 14-nation alliance to guard Red Sea after tanker attacks
Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries founded a new alliance on July 30, 2026 to protect Red Sea shipping routes after Yemen's Houthi fighters declared a naval blockade and hit several oil tankers.
World ✳
Iran fires new missiles, US and Saudi forces strike Iraq militias, oil jumps 7%
Iran launched a new round of missile attacks, and United States and Saudi Arabian forces struck Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq, according to news reports.
World ✳
Saudi Arabia joins US airstrikes on Iran-linked fighters in Iraq
Saudi Arabia has for the first time taken part directly in air strikes alongside the United States, hitting an Iraqi militant alliance linked to Iran on July 29.
World ✳
Iran breaks weeks-long lull with missile strike, tanker seizures and Iraq air raids
Days after signs Iran's conflict with the US was cooling, fighting flared again on three fronts: Iran fired a missile attack on US forces, which the US says it intercepted; US and Saudi jets bombed Iran-backed militants in Iraq who had launched drone attacks; and Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea passage carrying much of the world's oil.
World ✳
US disables tanker in Strait of Hormuz as Saudi Arabia strikes Yemen
The US disabled a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports as Saudi Arabia struck Yemen and the Houthis vowed retaliation, pulling the world's key oil chokepoint into the war.
Analysis ✳
The Great Powers Are Giving Up on Locks
For fifty years, powerful states kept dangerous technology behind a lock and rationed access as leverage. This week showed that reflex failing on three fronts at once — and what is replacing it.
World ✳
Trump puts a price on the Saudi nuclear deal: recognise Israel first
President Trump said the agreement to help Saudi Arabia build civilian nuclear power will proceed only if Riyadh normalises relations with Israel. In one sentence, an energy pact became a lever on the Middle East's biggest unfinished deal.