Middle East | News

Around 250,000 Ukrainians are currently staying in the Middle East. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to provide them with effective consular assistance and is considering all possible scenarios and response options, including evacuation.

Ishaq Dar has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to diplomatic engagement to help ease mounting tensions in the Middle East, warning that recent developments have significantly destabilized an already sensitive regional environment.

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, air routes passing through Pakistan and Afghanistan have emerged as some of the busiest aviation corridors in the world, according to flight tracking data.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the events in the Middle East and the Gulf region a fair opportunity for the Iranian people to get rid of the terrorist regime and ensure the security of neighboring countries.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday regretted the “breakdown of talks and outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East”. The statement came after United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the region into a renewed military confrontation. Subsequently, several Gulf Arab states said they were targeted by Iranian missiles after Tehran pledged to retaliate against the strikes. In a statement, the FO said, “Pakistan regrets the breakdown of talks and outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East. Pakistan condemns the unwarranted attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran. These attacks come at a time when diplomatic efforts were underway to reach a peaceful and negotiated solution.” The ministry maintained that such a course of action “will undermine the peace and stability of the entire region, with far reaching consequences”. Pakistan also “strongly condemned” the attacks by Iran against the brotherly countries of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “...

Pakistan has appealed to all parties involved in the ongoing Middle East crisis to avoid any actions that could threaten the sovereignty and security of regional states.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has temporarily stopped its flight services to several Gulf states in response to the developing security situation in the Middle East.

Escalating US-Iran tensions are boosting safe-haven demand, with gold attracting investors while equities and Bitcoin face pressure. Rising tensions in the Middle East are pushing investors toward safe-haven assets, with gold demand climbing as investors flee equities and crypto markets. On Wednesday, reports revealed that Iran has sharply increased crude oil exports, with shipments from Kharg Island reaching 20.1 million barrels between Feb. 15 and Friday, about three times January’s level, as a preemptive supply release and a hedge against possible disruption if tensions with the United States escalate. At the same time, increasingly hawkish US rhetoric regarding Iran’s nuclear program has raised expectations of confrontation, according to Bitunix analysts. “In the event of a direct US–Iran military conflict, gold could rise by roughly 15% within two weeks on safe-haven demand, targeting a range of $5,500-$5,800 per ounce,” the analysts wrote in a note shared with Cointelegraph. Read more

The U.S. ambassador to Israel had caused an uproar by telling Tucker Carlson he was 'fine' with Israel taking over most of Middle East, drawing condemnation from Arab and Muslim leaders

Pakistan, along with 13 other nations, has condemned the remarks made by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, where he suggested that he would not be opposed to Tel Aviv taking over large swathes of the Middle East, the Foreign Office said on Sunday. Huckabee made the remarks in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Friday, where the envoy asserted that Israel’s borders are based on the Bible when questioned about the country’s current boundaries. In response, Carlson noted that the biblical verse included the region between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile in Egypt. To this, Huckabee, who is a staunch pro-Israel conservative, said, “It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all”. In a joint-statement issued today, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the Gulf...

Eleven countries, including Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, criticized Huckabee's comments, saying that they directly contradict Trump's vision for the Middle East and 'pose a grave threat to the security and stability of the region'

The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has said that he would not be opposed to Tel Aviv taking over large swathes of the Middle East, reported Al-Jazeera. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, is a staunch pro-Israel conservative. In a Friday interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the envoy asserted that Israel’s borders are based on the Bible when questioned about the country’s current boundaries. Carlson noted that the biblical verse includes the region between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile in Egypt. “It would be fine if they took it all,” said Huckabee, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year. Carlson, clearly surprised, questioned Huckabee on whether he truly endorsed Israel’s expansion across the entire region. “They don’t want to take it over. They’re not asking to take it over,” the ambassador replied. The US envoy then appeared to downplay his comments, describing them as “somewhat of a hyperbolic statement,” while still allowing for the possibility of Israeli...

(LEFT) Iran and Russia carry out a joint military exercise; while (right) US Air Force planes are seen on the tarmac at the Sofia airport in Bulgaria.—Reuters • Trump says Tehran has ‘10 days’ to make a deal with Washington, or ‘bad things will happen’ • Kremlin urges restraint; Germany pulls troops out of Iraq; Poland tells citizens to leave Iran WASHINGTON: War clouds are looming over the Middle East, as US warplanes and aircraft carriers head toward Iran in preparation for possible military action. Renewing his threats towards Tehran, President Donald Trump indicated on Thursday that the country has around 10 days to reach a deal with Washington, or “bad things will happen”. CNN and CBS reported on Wednesday that the US military would be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet. White House Press Secretary Karoline Lea­vitt warned on Wednesday there were “many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran”...

Dubai’s regulator approved the license on Feb. 5, allowing Animoca Brands to target institutional and qualified investors under the oversight of Dubai’s VARA. Animoca Brands has secured a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), clearing the way for the company to broaden its crypto operations across the Middle East. The license allows the Hong Kong-founded Web3 investor and platform developer to offer broker-dealer services and investment management related to virtual assets in and from Dubai, excluding the Dubai International Financial Centre, according to a Monday announcement. The services are aimed primarily at institutional and qualified investors. “This licence enhances our ability to engage with Web3 foundations as well as global institutional and qualified investors within a well-regulated framework,” said Omar Elassar, managing director for the Middle East and head of global strategic partnerships at Animoca Brands. Read more

US President Donald Trump on Friday embraced potential regime change in Iran and declared that “tremendous power” will soon be in the Middle East, as the Pentagon sent a second aircraft carrier to the region. Trump’s military moves and tough talk come even as Washington and Tehran seek to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West. Asked if he wanted regime change in Iran, Trump responded that it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” He declined to share who he wanted to take over Iran, but said, “there are people.” “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking,” Trump said after a military event at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. “In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time.” Washington wants nuclear talks with Iran to also cover the country’s ballistic missiles, support for armed groups around the region and the treatment of the Iranian people. ...

After Trump on Thursday suggested another round of talks with the Iranians was at hand, possibly within the next month, a source said the carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford, which would take at least ‌a week to reach the Middle East

The Pentagon is sending an aircraft carrier from the Caribbean to the Middle East, US officials said on Friday, a move that would put two carriers in the region as tensions soar between the United States and Iran. The Gerald R. Ford carrier, the United States’ newest and the world’s largest carrier, has been operating in the Caribbean with its escort ships and took part in operations in Venezuela earlier this year. Asked why a second aircraft carrier was headed to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump said: “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it … if we need it, we’ll have it ready.” One of the officials, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said the carrier would take at least a week to reach the Middle East. The Gerald R. Ford will join the Abraham Lincoln carrier, several guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft that have been moved to the Middle East in recent weeks. The United States most recently had two aircraft carriers in the area last year, when it carried ...

The USS Abraham Lincoln and escort ships are deploying to the Middle East amid stalled UN inspections of Iran's nuclear material and the recent decline of nationwide anti-regime protests after a deadly crackdown. President Trump said the U.S. seeks to avoid further military action

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit with the Middle East swelled by 7.88 per cent during the first five months of 2025-26, driven by a surge in imports and a decline in exports to the region. In absolute terms, the trade gap with the Middle East widened to $5.948 billion in July-November from $5.514bn in the same period last year, according to data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan. In FY25, the deficit with the region increased 7.37pc to $13.974bn from $13.014bn in the preceding year. The swelling trade deficit is a cause for concern among policymakers, primarily due to the rising influx of petroleum products from the region. The increase was noted in imports from the region, reflecting higher oil imports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by Saudi Arabia and other countries. Exports to the Middle East fell 9.85pc to $1.217bn in 5MFY26 from $1.350bn over the corresponding months of last year. In FY25, exports to the Middle East fell 1.52pc to $3.107bn from $3.155bn over the same period last y...

The digital assets company is one of many to seek regulatory approval from UAE authorities or attempt to expand their services into a region drawing them in. Galaxy, the digital asset management and infrastructure company, announced an upcoming office and a new arm in Abu Dhabi as part of its push into the Middle East. In a Wednesday notice, Galaxy said it would establish an entity under the registration authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the area’s international financial center. According to Galaxy founder and CEO Mike Novogratz, the move was part of a strategy to expand the company’s existing partnerships and operations. “The Middle East is a rapidly growing financial hub that is home to some of the world’s most sophisticated investors and innovators,” said Galaxy managing director Bouchra Darwazah. “It has become a particularly influential region for our investors, clients, and portfolio companies, and we believe this office will help establish new opportunities as a leading global digital a...