Middle East | News

President Volodymyr Zelensky held a conversation with Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, during which they addressed security challenges in the Middle East.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine is ready to help Middle East countries stabilize the situation and protect civilians in response to the threat posed by Iranian attack drones and missiles that are destabilizing the region and the global market.

Gold prices climbed 2 per cent on Wednesday, rebounding from their lowest in more than a week reached in the previous session, as the dollar took a breather and mounting tensions in the Middle East drove investors toward safe havens. However, gold prices in Pakistan registered a significant drop of Rs10,000 per tola, settling at the rate of Rs 539,962 per tola. Spot gold gained 2.2pc to $5,198.58 per ounce by 10:17 GMT, after falling more than 4pc on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery added 1.7pc to $5,211.20. The U.S. dollar fell 0.2pc, making greenback-priced gold more affordable for buyers using other currencies. “After the past few days of position unwinds and dollar strength, markets are back to a more typical macro risk-off stance, with silver higher too. A pause in the rise of the dollar and Treasury yields helps with their opportunity costs,” said Jamie Dutta, market analyst at Nemo.money. “Gold and silver’s safe-haven characteristics can shine again.” Spot silver advanced 5.3pc to $86.39 p...

Russian propaganda has launched a new wave of fake stories about Ukraine, exploiting developments in the Middle East to discredit Kyiv and undermine support from its allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Bitcoin short-term holder losses were minimal over the weekend, and the Monday rally to $70,000 suggests the heaviest selling is done. Will Bitcoin finally break the monthly resistance? Bitcoin (BTC) rallied to $70,000 on Monday as the shadow of war looms over the entire Middle East. Data from CryptoQuant shows short-term holder loss transfers to exchanges falling to a two-week low over the past 24 hours, and the slowing exchange flows stand in contrast to the rate of selling seen in early February. The short-term holder (STH) profit/loss (P&L) to exchanges metric tracks how much Bitcoin recent buyers send to exchanges at a profit or loss. These participants tend to amplify volatility during stress events. On March 1, the realized losses fell to 3,700 BTC even as geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in the Middle East. Bitcoin dipped to $63,000 during that window, but exchange inflows from this cohort did not expand in response. Read more

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