Free Republic

Decision follows US and Israeli strikes on Iran in a rising threat to Gulf oil flowsOpec+ has agreed to increase output by 206,000 barrels per day from April, following one of the alliance’s most consequential meetings in years, held against the backdrop of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and rising threats to Gulf oil flows. The figure falls between the 137,000 bpd base case most analysts had anticipated and the more aggressive increases of 400,000 to 500,000 bpd that had been suggested. “The eight participating countries decided to resume the unwinding of the 1.65 million bpd of additional voluntary...

The United Nations chief condemned the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Saturday and called for an immediate return to negotiations “to pull the region, and our world, back from the brink.” Secretary-General António Guterres told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that everything must be done to prevent further escalation. “The alternative,” he warned, “is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.” Guterres said the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes violated international law, including the U.N. Charter. He also condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan,...

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has reportedly been killed in the military strikes, according to unconfirmed reports from Israel's Channel 12. Iran's Foreign Minister has denied these reports. GB News has not independently verified these claims and the situation remains developing. This comes as US and Israeli forces launched major combat operations against Iran, with explosions reported across multiple Middle Eastern countries including Bahrain, UAE and Kuwait.

Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, the AFP news agency reported. Iran has announced that all US and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become legitimate targets after the country was jointly attacked by the US and Israel. Qatar's defence ministry on Saturday said that it has downed all missiles targeting the country. Explosions were also heard in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, Reuters news agency reported.

The General Command of the Bahrain Defense Forces announced Saturday that air defense systems successfully intercepted a new missile attack launched by Iran.The Bahrain News Agency quoted the General Command of the Bahrain Defense Forces as confirming that the situation is stable and under control, with no injuries or loss of life resulting from this hostile missile attack. The process of securing the site of the attack continues to ensure the safety of citizens and residents in the area.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior announced the commencement of evacuation operations for citizens and residents in the Juffair area, calling for full...

Plumes of black smoke were seen rising above an area near the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet Iranian forces say they have struck a US naval base in Bahrain, as Iran launched strikes across the region in retaliation for a "massive" and ongoing attack against it by the US and Israel. Huge plumes of black smoke were seen rising from an area near the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. The extent of any damage is unclear and the US has not commented. Elsewhere across the region, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait - all...

In recent hours, multiple USAF C-17 Globemaster III aircraft have been shuttling between the Gulf, Souda Bay, Sofia and Ramstein Air Base, highlighting the scale of the logistical effort behind the ongoing American military buildup toward the Middle East. These heavy transports, some departing directly from the Gulf and others repositioning from Eastern Europe, are now forming a continuous bridge with Germany. The operation underscores how sustainment — not just combat aircraft — is shaping the strategic picture. The flights tracked today include several C-17s rotating northbound toward Ramstein, which is once again acting as the primary European hub for...

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on Monday it was following up with “high interest and concern” on the maritime coordinates and map recently submitted by Iraq to the United Nations. The ministry said in a statement that the coordinates and map included infringement on areas adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwaiti divided zone, where both countries share natural resources in the area according to previous agreements between them. For more Saudi news, visit our dedicated page. The ministry added that the Kingdom rejects “claims” that any other side has the right to the divided submerged area between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It...

New satellite imagery and flight-tracking data show a significant buildup of U.S. military aircraft at a key air base in central Jordan, as tensions rise over Iran's nuclear program, The New York Times reported Friday. Images captured Friday reveal more than 60 U.S. attack aircraft parked at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base — roughly three times the number typically stationed there.Flight data also indicate that at least 68 cargo planes have landed at the base since Sunday, suggesting a surge of personnel, equipment, and logistical support. More fighter jets may be positioned under protective shelters. The images show advanced aircraft, including...

Ten airlines continue to fly the Airbus A380 on a scheduled basis. As everyone knows, Emirates is overwhelmingly the largest user of the type. According to ch-aviation, it still has 116 frames. They include A6-EDF, which turned 20 this month; it is the world's oldest active superjumbo.Emirates was not the launch customer of the double-decker. Singapore Airlines was. Nonetheless, the Gulf giant's first passenger-carrying A380 took place in August 2008...If routes with fewer than five departures are excluded, only 11 destinations have ceased seeing the equipment. In comparison, Singapore Airlines has ended 12 A380 routes, while BA has ceased eight.The...

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have presented a $112 billion reconstruction plan to Gulf officials to build a “high-tech metropolis” atop the remains of Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The 32-page PowerPoint presentation labeled "sensitive" and titled "Project Sunrise" was developed over 45 days and reportedly presented to officials from Qatar, UAE, Egypt, and Turkiye. The plan envisions turning the Gaza Strip into a "high-tech metropolis" over the next two decades with four phases of reconstruction beginning in southern Gaza. It also calls for turning Rafah into Gaza's new "administrative center," housing over 500,000...

Archaeologists have uncovered definitive proof of early Christian life in the Arabian Gulf, thanks to the discovery of a plaster Christian cross dating back around 1,400 years. The find was made on Sir Bani Yas Island, about 110 miles southwest of Abu Dhabi, and confirms that a cluster of small courtyard houses found decades ago were part of a monastic Christian community. The cross was discovered by teams from Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism during excavations that restarted in January 2025. The artifact was found among courtyard houses north of the main monastery complex, where senior monks are...

British Prince Andrew and UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed. Andrew may go into a gilded life in exile. As the former Duke of York is massacred daily by an unstoppable flux of scandals, he is facing the prospect of being evicted from the 30-room Royal Lodge that has been his residence for more than 20 years. Prince Andrew always maintained that he held a ‘cast iron’ lease of the mansion, until it became public that he only paid ‘one peppercorn a year’ in rent. The agreement stated that the Crown would have to pay Andrew around £558,000 ($742,000) if he gave...

Why Washington Must Accelerate the U.A.E. Chip PartnershipThe United States and China are locked in a technology cold war. Beijing’s latest move—restricting exports of rare earth minerals critical to advanced manufacturing of everything from semiconductors to defense systems—shows that China is willing to weaponize every advantage it has. But the trade war is only part of the story. China’s quest to become a hegemonic power runs through the Gulf, where it seeks to establish a military presence to secure energy and shipping routes vital to its economy. For years, Beijing has courted the region’s energy and capital-rich states through the...

"If we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years."Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a U.S.-backed plan to end the war in Gaza and establish “a credible pathway” to a Palestinian state.The White House rolled out the plan shortly before President Donald Trump appeared with Netanyahu for a joint press conference at the White House. Trump announced that Israel had agreed to the 20-point framework, which the president said would deliver “peace in the Middle East,” during his opening remarks.“Today is a historic day for peace,...

Since Labour came to power, it has become clear that the battle against extremism has taken a back seat to political expediency. Labour has always had a counter-extremism problem, and after two decades of work I have done in this area which started post 7/7 under the Blair government, Labour continues to flounder in challenging Islamism in Britain. This Government, it seems, is being straight-jacketed by Islamist loudmouths who have hijacked the public discourse space on who represents Muslims in the UK. These political extremists who have hijacked Islam continue to smear and threaten those within Muslim communities who dare...

Trump convenes 8 Arab, Muslim leaders to present Gaza future planThe terror organization Hamas sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump proposing a two-month ceasefire in exchange for releasing half of the Israeli hostages it is still holding captive in Gaza, Fox News reported on Monday. Citing a senior Trump administration official and a source directly involved in the negotiations, the report stated that the letter is in Qatari hands and will be transmitted to Trump this week. Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that a Hamas leader might personally sign the letter before it is sent to Trump. The...

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced that archaeologists unearthed a rare 1,600-year-old stucco plaque featuring a Christian cross on the island of Sir Bani Yas near Abu Dhabi. The discovery was made during the first major excavation campaign at the site in over three decades, after a Christian monastery was first identified on the island in 1992. Current archaeological work at the complex is focused on a group of courtyard houses where the monks resided. The 10.5-by-6.5-inch plaque was likely used by monks for spiritual contemplation. The object features what appears to be...

Latest DevelopmentsAid Trucks Looted: Data from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) showed that between May 19 and August 5, more than 2,600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed from Israel into Gaza. However, only 300 of these trucks reached their intended destinations in Gaza during that period, with some 2,309 trucks being “intercepted” and looted along their delivery routes — undermining the recent claim of Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, that “the vast majority of the aid gets to civilians.” UNOPS’s data did not distinguish between the parties responsible for the interceptions, noting only that...

Some viral videos this month claim that Spain’s humanitarian aid dropped in Gaza contained pork or allegedly stale food. The controversy started after a clip, posted by a Palestinian journalist named Alam El-Din Sadiq, showed a young boy opening a bag of aid in Khan Yunis, alleging the supplies were mouldy and later sold in markets for over NIS 300 (about €75). Other reports claim that Spanish humanitarian aid in Gaza included ‘pork meatballs’ and pork, a food that the Islamic religion prohibits Muslims from eating. Spanish authorities’ response: “It’s halal-certified!” Over the last two months, Spain has dropped roughly...