GCC

Europe absorbs the bombs and the bills as Washington, emboldened by daring renditions, keeps weighing renewed strikes on Iran with an endgame still undefined.

After the UAE accused Iran of new missile and drone strikes this week, the ceasefire around Hormuz began to look less like a settlement than a pause under pressure.

After missile strikes on Gulf ports and thousands of flight cancellations, the UAE's exit from OPEC shatters the old oil order, exposing a ruthless energy future.

With Trump's envoys recalled and three carrier groups looming off the coast, the diplomatic pause masks a global rush to prepare for a potential summer war.

As Chagos and other islands become pawns for global powers, international rules are fading and a new era of raw control over the world’s vital sea lanes is beginning.