Three Indian nationals died in a US attack on a tanker carrying Iranian oil. Despite the public outrage, New Delhi is keeping a low profile to avoid angering Washington: in the background, a possible meeting between Trump and Modi on the sidelines of the G7. Meanwhile, the White House announced a deal with Tehran. Saudi Arabia reboots trade with Lebanon.
The axis between Israel (and the US), the United Arab Emirates, and India is being countered by a bloc that includes Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Turkey is refocusing on the idea of an alliance of Muslim countries to minimise “dependence on outside the region.” At home, the row over the leadership of the main opposition party has reopened wounds that had never healed.
The war with Iran has triggered a shift in Riyadh that is not merely geographical. Neom, Yanbu, and Jeddah are no longer just scenic elements of Vision 2030, but strategic infrastructures for survival. Hence, Mohammed bin Salman is trying to avoid all-out war with Iran (which would also jeopardise the Red Sea) in a context where the US is no longer a guarantor of stability.
Three Indian workers were wounded in the Iranian attack on the Fujairah oil terminal in the United Arab Emirates, the only one that bypasses Hormuz, a development that threatens to reignite the regional conflict, amidst competing alliances and interests. Against this backdrop, Abu Dhabi decided to leave the cartel of oil-exporting countries and consolidate its alliance with Israel. These steps, for Iran, will lead to the “collapse” of the Gulf.
Kuwait-born US journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin was arrested and had his passport revoked for publishing the video of a US fighter jet crashing. A similar measure was taken against 21 other people, including two sisters. Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 people accused of sympathies with Iran. Activists see the conflict as giving the authorities an “opportunity to crack down even harder”.
The Aqaba Port Rail Project is a cornerstone of the economic and logistical transformation of the transportation corridor between the Gulf and Europe. The project is set to begin in 2027 with a five-year construction timeframe. Concerns remain over regional instability, financial sustainability, and coordination among the various stakeholders involved. The construction of a dry port in Jordan’s southern region of Ma'an is also under consideration.
On the first anniversary of Pops Francis’s passing, two accounts from the Philippines and the war-torn Gulf region today recall his attentive gaze towards those who, as they travel the world in search of a future, also carry with them a Christian witness. Cardinal David: “They bring light to the world not out of strategy, but out of fidelity, wherever life may lead them.” Bishop Martinelli: “May his encouragement be a sign of peace even amidst today’s difficulties.”
During his meeting with Prince Mohamed bin Zayed in Beijing, the Chinese president called for the creation of a shared security system for the Middle East, as well as respect for the principle of sovereignty and international rules (which Beijing itself, however, does not respect in the South China Sea). According to UNDP estimates, 8.8 million more people are at risk of poverty in the Asia-Pacific.
Bishop Martinelli talks about the festivities in the conflict-stricken Gulf, starting with the testimony of the Missionaries of Charity. As a result of fear, some migrants have left the Emirates temporarily, while marriage and baptism courses are on hold. School and catechism classes have been "online for over a month." Church closures generated “significant media coverage”. A "people of peoples" from over a hundred countries bear witness to the faith.
The alarm has been raised by the president of the National Farmers’ Union. Harvests in the coming Yala and Maha seasons are at risk, with the threat of a severe food shortage. Around 130,000 tonnes of fertiliser are needed for rice, but stocks stand at just 60,000 tonnes. For industry operators, the problem reflects a deeper structural vulnerability.
Over 400 soon-to-be-weds, migrant workers in various countries across the region, are unable to return home and tie the knot due to the suspension of flights. Families are in despair, having completed their preparations yet facing an uncertain future. Some are considering video calls for an ‘alternative’ ceremony, but weddings are not merely a personal choice but community events woven into the social and economic fabric.
While the world’s attention is focused on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, there is another vital “economic resource” that the war is seriously jeopardizing: the labor of nearly 40 million foreign workers, who make up the majority of the population in many local cities. A prolonged crisis, with a massive wave of returns, would also have serious consequences for the countries of origin in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other Arab nations.
The Jaffa-born priest describes a situation of apprehension and crisis, but experienced “with great human dignity”. The crisis triggered by war is not something "distant” as people have to live with “caution, fear, and prayer." The conflict touches "deep sensitivities" in the region. In his appeal to AsiaNews readers, he says that every war "is a wound to humanity”.
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