In today's episode of Trending Middle East, the US has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The move follows a strike on Dammam airport late on Wednesday that killed one person and injured eight.
UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh has entered the race to become the next UN secretary general. Her candidacy comes as the Security Council remains divided over who should succeed Antonio Guterres when his final term ends in December.
Non-Iran Middle East oil exports have recovered to prewar levels despite continuing attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, experts say that France's deal to buy diesel from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain will not bring prices down immediately, although it could help ease fuel shortages. European diesel prices have more than doubled since the start of the year.
In the West Bank, a candidate in the upcoming US midterm elections was briefly detained by Israeli troops while taking part in a Palestinian olive harvest.
Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.