live U.S. pressure on Iran intensifies as sanctions and blockade take hold
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, acc...
President Donald Trump has completed a four-day tour of the Gulf, announcing more than $2 trillion in investment and defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
While many of these deals are still in early stages or represent future plans, the trip highlighted growing economic and security ties between the U.S. and the Gulf region.
In Saudi Arabia, Trump met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and signed a “Strategic Economic Partnership” along with 12 agreements across sectors like energy, technology, and defense. Saudi Arabia pledged up to $600 billion in investment into the U.S., though analysts say this figure may be optimistic. The White House described a $142 billion defense deal as the largest arms sale in history. The visit also included a new AI partnership between U.S. chipmaker Nvidia and Saudi firm Humain to build AI factories over the next five years.
In Qatar, Trump announced deals valued at more than $243 billion, including a $96 billion aviation sale with Boeing and General Electric. Qatar also agreed to a $42 billion defense package involving missile systems, drones, and refueling aircraft. The two countries signed a broader economic agreement valued at $1.2 trillion. At the U.S. military’s Al Udeid Air Base, Trump praised Qatar’s $10 billion plan to upgrade the base. Qatar also pledged $1 billion for quantum technology development in the U.S.
In the UAE, Trump met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi. The UAE signed new deals worth $200 billion and pledged to invest $1.4 trillion in the U.S. over the next decade. They also launched a 5-gigawatt AI campus in Abu Dhabi — the largest outside the U.S. — with participation from companies like Nvidia and xAI.
Though many of these agreements are announcements or pledges rather than finalized contracts, the tour demonstrates strengthened Gulf-U.S. cooperation and underscores Trump’s influence in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy says envoys from the United States will be visiting Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate an end to the conflict.
The Trump administration pressured U.S. space companies not to attend a high-profile space summit in Paris organised by French President Emmanuel Macron, prompting a last-minute reshuffle and the cancellation of some planned announcements, according to sources familiar with the matter.
A Russian court on Thursday imposed restrictions on Lida Moniava, the founder of a children’s hospice, who is accused of spreading false information about the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine.
China’s state-owned shipping giant COSCO has used concealed equipment aboard some of its vessels to collect intelligence on military communications near the coastlines of countries including the U.S., according to two senior Trump administration officials.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would block federal funding for universities that boycott Israel, as Republicans push ahead with pro-Israel measures despite growing criticism of the Israeli government over the war in Gaza.
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