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Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Saudi Arabia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Riyadh
Head of State
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Head of Government
Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
Police officers walk towards the president’s official residence in Islamabad, as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for peace talks on Friday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

The six GCC nations worry that the US will prioritise Tehran’s needs and leave the Gulf monarchies vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Letters | US-Iran ceasefire is more of a recalibration than an off-ramp

US, Israel war on Iran

Israel plans talks with Lebanon as violence imperils Iran ceasefire

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South Korea

Trump lashed out at Seoul over Hormuz. Will it affect US-South Korea ties?

Strong security ties and other allies’ reluctance to support Washington’s ‘war of choice’ will help Seoul withstand the blow, analysts say.

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South Korean protesters attach stickers on a banner showing the Strait of Hormuz during a rally near the presidential office in Seoul on March 28. The letters read “Refuse sending troops to Hormuz!” Photo: AP
War and conflict

Opinion | China’s role in the Iran-US ceasefire reflects its strategic distance

In taking a back seat in de-escalation efforts with Pakistan, China is decoupling its influence from responsibility.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran calls for ‘human chains’ around its power plants before US deadline

Tehran defiant after the US president warned the ‘entire country can be taken out in one night’.

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South Korea

South Korea aims to send ships to Saudi port for oil to bypass Hormuz

Special envoys will also sail to Oman and Algeria to try to secure oil via other routes, said lawmaker Ahn Do-geol.

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Cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz on March 11. Photo: Reuters
SCMP Highlights

Chinese-made drone shot in Iran, Australia’s diplomacy pivot: 5 weekend reads

From a Chinese-made drone shot down in Iran to where Hongkongers went over the holidays, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Ukraine war

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

China's military weapons

Iran points finger at Saudis and UAE after Chinese-made drone was shot down

Tehran says it has shot down a Wing Loong II, which could be proof of ‘active complicity’ in the US-Israeli war.

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Iran says a Wing Long II drone has been shot down over its territory. Photo: Dickson Lee
South Korea

South Korea and Indonesia’s fighter jet is ready. But will it sell?

Only a handful of nations have ever built a supersonic fighter jet from the ground up.

The first mass-produced KF-21 fighter jet is unveiled during a ceremony at the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon on March 25. Photo: Yonhap/EPA
China-EU relations

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Helium supply shock threatens Asian chipmakers as economic slowdown fears mount

Iranian attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities are curbing the supply of helium, a crucial gas used in chipmaking.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Editorial | Trump’s Iran address fails to set minds at ease or clearly signal direction

The Iran war is a wake-up call to many countries about their overdependence on the US for security.

US President Donald Trump points after speaking in a televised address to the nation on the conflict in the Middle East from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington on April 1. Photo: AFP
Asean

How Asean’s neutral stance in Iran war protects its energy security

Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.

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An oil tanker sits anchored off Muscat, Oman, on March 10. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Controlled escalation? Trump hails ‘victories’ in Iran but vows more strikes

US president tells anxious Americans that the conflict’s core objectives are ‘nearing completion’ but fails to lay out a clear timeline to end the war.

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Japan

Why Japan’s advanced fighter project may get Canadian tailwinds

With Ottawa’s interest in the stealth fighter, Tokyo hopes the multinational project for its air force’s modernisation can regain momentum.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump claims Iran wants ceasefire, Tehran calls remarks ‘false and baseless’

The US president has said he could walk away from the war in two to three weeks.

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One on Friday at Miami International Airport. Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war as oil prices have skyrocketed. Photo: AP
Pakistan

What Pakistan gains by playing peacemaker in Iran war

If Islamabad can successfully carry off the talks, it stands a chance of bringing in much-needed investments and weapon sales, analysts say.

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US, Israel war on Iran

China, Pakistan launch five-point plan to ease Iran crisis, push ceasefire

Beijing backs Islamabad’s mediation push as both call for truce, Hormuz reopening and talks to restore regional stability.

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US, Israel war on Iran

After early anger, Gulf allies press Trump for final blow to Iran

The UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain are pushing hard for Trump to order a ground invasion of Tehran, according to a diplomat.

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A plume of smoke rises from the site of a strike in Iran, Tehran, on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s Islamic republic will ‘collapse internally’, says Netanyahu

Gulf allies of the US, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are meanwhile urging Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: EPA
Middle East

Chinese container ships pass through Strait of Hormuz at second attempt, data shows

The two ships, which had turned back on Friday, are the first non-Iranian container ships to leave the Gulf since the war began.

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Japan

Japan’s PM will mull top-level talks with Iran at ‘appropriate’ time

Stability in the Middle East is vital for Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump claims ‘regime change’ achieved in Iran, predicts deal ‘soon’

The US president hints at a looming deal even as thousands of US marines arrive in the region, reportedly for ground operations.

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US President Donald Trump talks to the media on board Air Force One on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

Video | Pakistan talks aim to end Middle East fighting

Top diplomats from key regional powers gathered in Islamabad on March 29 to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East.

This handout photograph taken on March 29, 2026 and released by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2L) in a meeting with his counterparts Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan (L), Turkey’s Hakan Fidan (2R) and Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty at the Foreign Ministry office in Islamabad. Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey were expected to meet on March 29 for talks on the war in the Middle East, with Islamabad acting as a go-between between the United States and Iran. (Photo by Pakistan Foreign Ministry / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / - / Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs” - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
My Take

My Take | Iran has shown the West’s containment of China is a fool’s errand

Countries across the world will be wise to hedge their bets with Beijing as the war exposes US security ‘guarantees’ as burdens and liabilities for allies.

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Pakistan

Regional diplomats gather in Pakistan for talks to end Iran war

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were taking part in the talks as the US kept up strikes on Iran.

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