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TOPIC COLLECTION

Middle East

Included topics:
The first planeload of Hongkongers stranded in the Middle East returned home on Wednesday evening. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong tourism

Safe air corridors enable stranded Hongkongers to return from Middle East amid war

Aviation expert credits UAE air traffic control for enabling the flight from Dubai despite escalating conflict risks in the region.

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North Korea

Kim’s new warship signals North Korea’s push for nuclear strike options at sea

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Middle East

Video | First batch of stranded Hongkongers from Middle East returns home

Iran’s navy in crosshairs as warship sinking by US submarine ups game

Iran’s foreign minister says the US ‘will come to bitterly regret’ the precedent set after a US sub sank its frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka.

A US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Photo: US Department of Defence via Reuters

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

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Opinion | China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once

Far from freeing up resources to focus on China, Trump’s administration finds itself fighting fires on several fronts, sapping its resources.

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US pulls diplomatic staff from Pakistan amid pro-Iran protests

The State Department ordered non-emergency employees and their family at consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave due to ‘safety risks’.

Pakistani security officers stand guard at the entrance to the US consulate in Karachi on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Video | Chinese citizens scramble out of Iran

China says over 470 nationals have left via land routes, urging remaining citizens in Iran to register and depart as soon as possible.

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Middle East tensions set to strengthen Hong Kong as a gold and wealth hub

Expanding gold vault capacity and new tax incentives for family offices are part of Hong Kong’s broader push to attract global wealth.

US Senate rejects bid to curb Trump’s Iran war powers despite growing concerns

The bipartisan resolution, which failed by 52-47 votes, was aimed at stifling Donald Trump’s authority to continue military strikes on Iran.

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Democrat senator Tim Kaine, one of the lawmakers who introduced the Senate resolution, claimed US President Donald Trump had dragged the US into “unnecessary forever wars”. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Panama out, but study says China investing US$23.9 billion in world’s seaports

Beijing funds 363 ports outside the Panama Canal to safeguard against East-West decoupling and US bid to curb China’s supply chain influence.

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A view of the Port of Balboa, managed by CK Hutchison Holdings based in Hong Kong, at the entrance to the Panama Canal in Panama City. On February 24, 2026, Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison objected to a takeover by Panamanian authorities of two ports its subsidiary previously controlled on the Panama Canal. Photo: AFP

Russia may halt gas supplies to Europe amid Iran energy spike, Putin warns

The leader says the chaos triggered by the Iran crisis has led to the emergence of other buyers willing to pay top dollar for fuel.

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Relief, joy as first flight back from Dubai brings stranded Hongkongers home

Passengers happy to ‘finally be somewhere safe’ after conflict in Middle East closed airports.

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Hong Kong tycoons say Middle East outlook remains promising despite conflict

New World scion Adrian Cheng highlights city’s status as safe haven for capital; K Wah’s Francis Lui says property and stocks holding firm.

Iran has launched retaliatory strikes at targets in Dubai. AFP

Iran delays funeral of supreme leader over crowd concerns

The funeral is likely to turn into a rally for Islamic Republic supporters who oppose the US and Israeli attacks.

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A billboard featuring a portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is displayed on a roadside in Tehran, Iran. Photo: TNS

Is the US in decline? After Iran strikes, maybe not, Chinese analysts say

The popular idea in China that American strength is waning may need a rethink, observers say.

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Turkey says missile launched from Iran destroyed by Nato

A Turkish official said the missile had been ‘aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course’.

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Khamenei’s fall exposes China’s military AI lag versus US: Beijing adviser

Zheng Yongnian cites precision strikes on Iran and earlier Venezuela raid to warn about risks posed by deep AI integration in US military.

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Plumes of smoke rise in Iranian capital Tehran following US-Israeli missile strikes on March 1. Photo: AFP

Pakistan aims to walk tightrope between Saudi Arabia and Iran as war flares

Islamabad has to navigate a tricky regional environment and manage the domestic blowback of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

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Air freight costs for China shippers may jump 30% as Middle East airspace closes

China-Europe cargo flights face longer routes and higher fuel costs after Middle East airspace closures, the Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding & Logistics says.

Video | Hongkongers in Dubai face daily fears of Iran strikes

A Hong Kong expat tells SCMP about her experience since Iran began launching strikes on Dubai on February 28.

Hongkonger Karena Mak in Dubai.
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Why China is staying on the sidelines of the US-Iran conflict

Decision based on consideration of Beijing’s own interests as well as its ties with Washington and others, analysts say.

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Since the large-scale attacks by the US and Israel against Iran began over the weekend, Beijing has limited its response to diplomatic statements. Photo: AFP

Unesco-listed Iran palace damaged as US and Israel ramp up air war

Shockwaves from strikes on Tehran shatter glass and mirrors in the historic Golestan Palace, prompting reaction from the UN.

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China caught between Iran and Gulf states as Tehran strikes across Middle East

In 2023, China mediated a peace deal between Riyadh and Tehran, but the ties are being tested as Iran targets sites in Saudi Arabia.

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10 exhibitors and Iranian buying mission miss Hong Kong jewellery fair amid war

While organiser reports only ‘small’ dip in participants, several Middle Eastern exhibitors say they are bracing for weaker sales.

The Hong Kong International Jewellery Show is held at the city’s convention centre. Photo: Sam Tsang

Opinion | Why a TV hit in China about waging peace resonates so deeply

Swords into Ploughshares can tell us a lot about Beijing’s approach to the crisis in Iran, cross-strait relations and this year’s ‘two sessions’.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens

Trump’s Iran attack sparks calls in Russia to abandon Ukraine talks

Some Russian hardliners are urging Vladimir Putin to double down on the war in Ukraine.

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Stagflation risk emerges amid Mideast oil crisis, clouds China’s economic battle

While rising energy costs from war in Iran may briefly aid China’s deflation battle, analysts warn how oil price spike could threaten nation’s fragile economic rebound.

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Middle East
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Middle East. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.