Independent journalist I Covering the Gulf for the BBC I Previously BBC Middle East Correspondent & India Correspondent | Avid follower of ⚽️ & 🏏 | Love 🧳& ☕️
Dubai/Riyadh
Joined July 2009
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Saudi Aramco’s tower in Riyadh’s financial district was attacked this morning. Saudi authorities say the damage was “minor” and there were no injuries. However, videos circulating on social media appear to show a large hole spanning two floors of the skyscraper’s facade.
Sameer Hashmi retweeted
BREAKING: Israel’s president picks opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot to form a new government, in a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. apnews.com/article/israel-el…
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BREAKING: Thousands of Syrian
troops are set to deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with hundreds already on the
ground, five Yemeni officials told @AFP, as Riyadh rallies international
help to repel the Houthis and bolster the government.
A thread 👇
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The US embassies in the UAE & Saudi Arabia have warned American citizens to “exercise heightened vigilance” amid increased threats of Houthi armed attacks. The UAE embassy also warned of Iranian efforts to target US officials and potential flight cancellations, airspace closures.
Middle East: Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance due to the increased threat of armed attacks by Iranian-supported Houthis and Iranian efforts to target U.S. government officials in the region. Be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions. Read the latest country-specific alerts at travel.state.gov/en/internat…
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BREAKING: The S&P 500 has now erased -$2.2 trillion over the last 55 minutes.
Today's decline is now double the size of yesterday's post-election rally.
The Nasdaq 100 is ~6% away from a bear market.
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“I’ve been married to a South Indian family for 20 years. I might be more Indian than Arab..Everybody likes desis more than Arabs,” jokes newly elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed on his Indian family
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And Tehran should not overread these results either: a long blockade is still politically sustainable in the U.S. And that may be exactly what Trump settles.
Potential implications of the #USMidterms for the Middle East:
1) Could influence the political calculations around government formation in Israel.
2) Reinforces the need for Gulf states to prepare for a post-Trump era. This was already part of their strategic thinking, but the election results add urgency.
3) Will strengthen Tehran’s negotiating position.
Pia Dandiya makes history as the first Indian-American elected to Congress from Florida. She won in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District on Democrat ticket - securing a seat in the US House of Representatives
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Adam Hamawy, an Egyptian-American Democrat who volunteered as a surgeon in Gaza during the war, has won a seat in Congress for New Jersey, defeating Republican Gregg Mele.
Born in Egypt, Hamawy moved to Old Bridge Township with his family when he was a baby. He attended Rutgers University and its medical school.
The former combat surgeon, who served in the army during the Iraq war, is credited with saving the life of fellow soldier Senator Tammy Duckworth after her helicopter was shot down in 2004. Following his military service, he set up a private plastic surgery practice in Princeton.
Hamawy travelled to Gaza in 2024 and 2025 as a humanitarian trauma surgeon
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BREAKING: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed wins U.S. Senate race in Michigan, according to VoteHub and DDHQ. He becomes the first Muslim elected to the Senate.
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BREAKING: Trump acknowledges Iran war role in Republican midterm losses
🔴 LIVE updates: aje.news/avvdpp?update=51192…
The US response to Iran’s rights and demands were not convincing. They must address Iran's seven conditions; only then will the "Strait of Hormuz be opened" says Mohsen Rezaee, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.
In June 2025 and February 2026, the US and Iran were engaged in negotiations when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Given what happened on both occasions, it would be premature to interpret the latest talks as a sign of diplomatic progress.
As fears mount over a resumption of war between the US, Israel and Iran, a sign of diplomatic progress.
A diplomat briefed on the talks tells Sky News that Qatari mediators have returned to Doha following “positive talks” in Tehran. Both sides are now reviewing proposals aimed at bridging their differences.
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BREAKING: US conducts 'defensive' strikes on Iranian targets in Strait of Hormuz
🔴 LIVE updates: aje.news/773kt1?update=51133…
Chris Murphy, the US Senator from Connecticut who was briefed on US plans to restart the war, has issued a stark warning.
He describes the war plan as “insane” and warns that it will lead to “devastating escalation and the likely destruction of the US commitment to the rule of law.”
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We categorically deny allegations that Qatar has interfered in Israeli elections or funded any activities intended to influence their outcome. We reject the accusations made by certain Israeli politicians and their contacts in the media, who have launched yet another disinformation campaign aiming to drag Qatar into Israeli political disputes following this week’s elections. They accuse Qatar of buying off Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli political left and now, in this latest campaign, the Arab vote. If these claims were to be believed, Qatar would apparently own all of Israel.
These accusations are ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure. The repeated invocation of Qatar in Israeli electoral rhetoric reveals an excessive obsession with our country among certain Israeli political and media figures. Qatar should not be used as a scapegoat for the political failures of certain Israeli politicians. Rather than trying to shift attention onto Qatar, they would be better off focusing on their own voters, improving people’s everyday lives, and undoing the damage they’ve created in the region.
We reiterate that we have no involvement in Israel’s political or electoral competition. These are internal Israeli matters in which we do not interfere, and we will not accept any attempt to draw Qatar into its domestic political disputes. Any government emerging from these elections must uphold international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, engage seriously and honestly on the Palestinian issue, and respect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to self-determination and an independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This requires responsibility and accountability.
None of this will distract us from our important role as a mediator, our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, our support for the Palestinian people, or our commitment to a just and comprehensive peace and regional stability. We will continue working closely with our regional and international partners to resolve ongoing conflicts through diplomacy. We will not remain silent while Qatar’s name is exploited to serve electoral agendas or narrow political interests.
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Saudi Arabia’s main shipping firm Bahri reported a 10-fold jump in third-quarter profit as its oil tanker business benefited from surging freight rates amid the Iran war bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
