Sirens sound in Israel as Iranian missile barrage detected
Trump says Iran 'should have signed the deal I told them to sign'
Fires detected in Gulf of Oman separating Iran from UAE
Benjamin Netanyahu claims Iran attacks 'well co-ordinated' with US
US sending more defensive assets to Middle East
Footage shows blast shaking studio as presenter criticises Israel for attacks
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Zawya
38 minutes ago
- Zawya
Israel-Iran conflict will spur Russia-China gas deal, Russian adviser says
Rising tensions in the Middle East will accelerate natural gas negotiations between Russia and China, with a decision likely this year, the head of a think-tank that advises the Russian government on China told Reuters. Russia has been seeking a deal to build the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline to deliver 50 billion cubic metres of gas a year to China, but the two sides have not been able to agree on terms. "With the sharp rise in tensions in the Middle East, it is advantageous for China to increase supplies from the north," said Kirill Babaev, head of the China and Contemporary Asia Institute in Moscow. Israel and Iran attacked each other for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, raising the risk of further unrest and the potential disruption of oil and gas supplies from the Middle East. "The issue of the gas deal will arise again because this deal is capable of guaranteeing China an uninterrupted supply of energy. Under current conditions, by the end of the year, we will see a decision on the Power of Siberia-2," Babaev added. Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to travel to China in early September to participate in celebrations marking the anniversary of the victory over Japan in World War II. The trip follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow in May. Babaev, whose think tank is involved in preparing Putin's agenda, said that the visit will be filled with political and economic discussions. Economic cooperation with China has helped Russia in the face of Western sanctions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING Trade between Russia and China jumped by 26% in 2023 though by just 1.9% in 2024. It fell by 7.5% in the first four months of 2025 but Babaev said that new energy and agriculture export deals could revive growth this year. He said problems with cross-border payments, caused by the threat of secondary Western sanctions against Chinese banks, which strained relations between Russia and China in 2024, have eased. "We have a mutual understanding with our Chinese partners that money prefers silence. The less publicity surrounds these matters, the more successfully these payments proceed. The Chinese side is cooperating with us, and new mechanisms are working fine," Babaev said. A delegation of Chinese officials and executives will attend the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Russia's main economic conference, this week and participate in a panel discussion with Putin. Babaev said that Chinese investors are active in the agriculture, oil and gas processing, food, logistics, and pulp and paper sectors, but they often operate through intermediaries, and their presence is not always reflected in statistics. "Chinese investors are entering the Russian market very cautiously and try not to make their presence too visible by establishing joint ventures with Russian companies and operating under new brands," he said. (Reporting by Gleb Bryanski)
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
Iraq to build 5mln houses in 5 years
Iraq has awarded projects involving the construction of nearly 1.5 million houses and the number is expected to reach five million units by 2030, an official has said. More developers are expected to enter the Iraqi market following the improvement of investment laws in the housing sector, said Hassam Al-Khafaji, chairman of parliament's investment and development committee. 'The government has recently awarded several projects for the construction of nearly 1.5 million houses,' he told the official daily Alsabah on Monday. 'We expect more projects to be awarded in the next period given the high demand for housing in Iraq…I believe that until 2030, the projects will include five million units.' Khafaji noted that a large part of those projects involved the construction of cities near the capital Baghdad, the Southern Basra province and other parts of Iraq. (Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon) ( Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Houthis consider resuming strikes on US targets to back Iran
Yemen's Houthi rebels are considering resuming strikes on US targets in the Middle East and intensifying attacks on Israel in support of Iran, Yemeni security sources said on Sunday. The sources, based in Sanaa and Beirut, told The National that the group's leadership is considering the escalation in response to the US's apparent military support for Israel. "The Yemeni [Houthi] leadership may resort to escalating its confrontation against aggression in the region," said one of the sources. "There is information that Israeli aircraft are using US carriers in the northern Red Sea to launch attacks on Iran, and that refuelling is being conducted in the skies over northern Syria and northern Iraq." Another source said: "The Houthis are seeing the US again as a legitimate target now." Last month, US President Donald Trump said the Iran-backed Houthis 'capitulated' and that America would stop striking the rebels after they agreed to cease attacking ships in the Red Sea. Badr Al Busaidi, Oman's Foreign Minister, confirmed later that efforts to de-escalate the situation caused by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, had resulted in a ceasefire between the two sides. However, the recent Israeli offensive against Iran could prompt the rebels to resume attacks on US forces in solidarity with Tehran, which has come under Israeli fire since Friday and responded with missile strikes on Israel. Taking advantage On Sunday, the Yemeni rebels claimed to have launched missiles at Israel in co-ordination with Iran, in the first acknowledged military action in support of Tehran by one of its regional proxies since the start of Israeli attacks. The Houthis launched ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv in the previous 24 hours, the group's spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said in an announcement reported by the rebel-aligned Saba news agency. The region is braced for a protracted conflict after Israel's surprise bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites killed several senior generals and nuclear scientists. Iran responded by launching hundreds of ballistic missiles at Iran, and neither side has shown any sign of backing down. The Houthis, along with Hezbollah in Lebanon, began launching drone and missile attacks on Israel after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Hezbollah was once considered Iran's first line of defence against Israeli attacks, but Israel's retaliatory strikes against the group last year killed its political and military leaders and largely destroyed its arsenal. Lebanese officials have urged Hezbollah not to respond to the Israeli attacks on Iran and the group has assured them it would not, security sources told The National on Saturday. Iran-backed groups in Iraq, who also launched attacks on Israel over the war in Gaza, have responded to the attacks on Iran by calling for the accelerated departure of US troops from the country, with the powerful Kataib Hezbollah warning of 'additional wars in the region'. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen in recent months. "It is not unlikely that Yemen's attacks will expand if Israel's escalating crimes against our people – including against Iran – are not stopped. Israel brings ruin to the entire region, without exception. Isn't it likely that Israel will target Iraq next?," said one of the sources close to thinking of the Houthi rebels. "It is only natural that the Yemenis take advantage of Israel being preoccupied with facing waves of Iranian strikes," added the source. "Applying pressure on the Israeli entity from multiple directions, fronts, and avenues, militarily, politically, and economically, helps deter the Israeli government and its crimes across the region."
