The former Italian prime minister died on June 12, 2023, at the age of 86. Throughout his terms in office he cultivated closer ties with the US – with mixed results.
Saudi Arabia, to the surprise of many, chose China to broker its deal with Iran in March 2023.
Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Image
Corals in the Persian Gulf are tough - they can withstand temperatures that would kill corals elsewhere. And there’s good news: it’s easy to cross-breed their heat-tolerance genes into other corals.
An International Atomic Energy Agency investigator examines Reactor Unit 3 at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant, May 27, 2011.
Greg Webb, IAEA/Flickr
On the 10th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, two experts explain why human choices are more important to nuclear safety than technology, and why the job is far from finished.
With a nuclear deal set to expire, ongoing tensions in the region and an uncertain US presidential election, there may soon be an increase in hostilities in the Gulf region.
In an effort to increase tourism, Saudi Arabia recently eased its strict dress code for foreign women, allowing them to go without the body-shrouding abaya robe still mandatory for Saudi women.
FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images
In countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, it’s now official policy that women should go to college and work outside the home. But cultural pressure to marry and have kids remains strong.
Jeffrey Fields, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Some of the major events in US-Iran relations highlight the differences between the nations’ views, but others presented real opportunities for reconciliation.
Iranian soldiers take part in National Persian Gulf Day in the Strait of Hormuz.
Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images
If the US makes good on the president’s threat, Iran’s heritage won’t be the only thing damaged. Washington’s reputation would also take a hit.
The attack on the Abqaiq oil facilities in Saudi Arabia has sparked geopolitical tensions but has had only a minor impact on oil prices.
Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters
Energy-wise, the fallout from the attack on Saudi oil facilities has so far been very muted. The surge in oil production in the US over the past decade helps explain why.
Ships and boats sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters/Hamad I Mohammed
A fifth of the world’s oil travels through the narrow waterway.
Navy boats from the United Arab Emirates next to the Al Marzoqah of Saudi Arabia, one of several international oil tankers attacked in the Gulf in May 2019. The Saudi government has blamed Iran for acts of sabotage.
Reuters/Satish Kumar
A showdown with Iran over some oil tanker attacks in the Persian Gulf could push the US into its next Mideast war, writes a scholar of military aggression.
Joggers and sightseers take in the Doha skyline.
Reuters/Ibraheem al Omari
Qatar’s decision to aid Turkey in the face of American sanctions against the country may finally be a snub too far for its close relationship with the US.
Qatar out of the picture: Donald Trump meets with Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia at the White House.
Kevin Dietsch/EPA
Australia’s recently announced review of its national fuel stockpiles is timely indeed. The country is almost totally reliant on oil being shipped through some of the world’s most contested regions.
Pristine Dubai is apparently no place for displaced Syrians.
Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah