6/22/20266.1/10
Qatar gas hub explosions kills 13 and injures 66 Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 06/22/2026 - 11:17 Doha says search and rescue operations under way after 'internal explosion' at Ras Laffan complex This frame grab from AFPTV video footage on 21 June 2026 shows an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial zone as the result of a 'technical incident' (AFPTV/AFP) Off An explosion at Qatar ’s main liquefied natural gas processing facility has killed 13 people and injured at least 66 others, Qatar's energy minister said on Monday. The incident occurred on Sunday at Ras Laffan Industrial City, around 80km from Doha, in what was described by the interior ministry as a “technical accident” at the Barzan factory within the complex. Saad al-Kaabi, the energy minister, said that the explosion was an accident and not caused by an aggression or sabotage. He said that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the blast, adding that it had not impacted Qatar's export capabilities. The state-owned QatarEnergy, which administers Ras Laffan, said that emergency response teams had been immediately deployed after the explosion, and that a fire had been brought under control at Barzan factory. Authorities said that there had not been any leakage from the facility, and there was no danger to public safety or the environment. Ras Laffan spans 295 square kilometres - roughly a third of the size of New York City. It is the centrepiece of Qatar’s lucrative gas operation. Ras Laffan: How Qatar gas hub attack is hitting Asia and beyond Read More » The site processes the Gulf state’s vast gas reserves from the offshore North Field, turning it into LNG, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquid fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other byproducts.
📡 Middle East Eye (RSS)6/19/20266.1/10
Tel Aviv [Israel], June 19 : In a critical diplomatic development, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah officially went into effect at 4:00 PM local time today, after Friday morning's flare-up. The accord, which aims to de-escalate recent intense hostilities along the northern border, was secured through rigorous international mediation. According to a senior US official speaking to The Times of Israel, the deal was successfully brokered by the United States and Qatar, who facilitated high-stakes communication with Israel and Iran, respectively.
📡 Rising Kashmir6/22/20266.1/10
At least 13 people were killed, and dozens injured, after an explosion at Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex, which occurred as workers were restarting operations halted after an Iranian attack in March. Authorities said a ‘technical accident’ occurred at the Barzan local gas supply facility on Sunday evening. Qatar, which hosts a major US military base, has come under repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks during the Iran war, which trapped around 20 per cent of global LNG supply in the Gulf before some shipments began to resume recently.
📡 Dawn6/9/20266.1/10
CAIRO: Talks on advancing the fragile Gaza ceasefire have begun in Cairo between mediators and Palestinian factions, a Palestinian source familiar with the meeting told AFP. The discussions, which started on Sunday and continued on Monday, come as violence continues to plague the territory despite the truce in place since October. The talks bring together mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, along with representatives of several Palestinian factions, as efforts continue to push forward negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
📡 Dawn6/18/20266.1/10
How Qatar played its strongest cards to help secure US-Iran deal Submitted by Sansom Milton on Mon, 06/15/2026 - 20:00 Doha successfully resisted pressure from those who wanted to see it abandon mediation and pursue military options against Tehran US President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in France, on 16 June, 2026 (Reuters) On With the official signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran to suspend hostilities across all fronts taking place in France on Wednesday, all eyes are on whether this deal can hold. The agreement does not address all the fundamental issues at play, but rather creates a framework for future negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, which could yet derail the diplomatic process. Furthermore, it is an open question as to whether the deal can withstand Israeli efforts to torpedo the prospects for peace by continuing its war of aggression in Lebanon . Despite these challenges, the signing is a major step in the right direction for a negotiated settlement to end the most consequential global crisis of the 21st century. Behind the headlines, this week’s agreement is the product of months of patient and cumulative diplomatic efforts by multiple states and organisations. Pakistan takes much credit for its consistent and clear leadership of the multi-party mediation, sustaining a process involving two unpredictable and powerful conflict parties, in the face of enormous global public pressure. It also coalesced a diplomatic front including Turkey , Saudi Arabia and Egypt . Notably, Pakistan appears to have taken a leaf out of Qatar ’s book, utilising its unique set of relationships and communication channels to act as an effective go-between. Pragmatic approach Alongside Pakistan, Qatar played a key role in brokering the Iran-US deal. Over the past week, Qatari delegations twice touched down in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials - including 17 hours of intense negotiations throughout Sunday that culminated in the agreement. Further talks are scheduled to take place in Doha throughout this week.
📡 Middle East Eye6/16/20266.1/10
Trump told Israel to let Syria attack Hezbollah in Lebanon Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 06/16/2026 - 16:57 Trump confirms reports originally denied by a senior US official that he mulled Syria invading Lebanon US President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, during the G7 summit in Evian, eastern France, on 16 June 2026 (Mandel Ngan/AFP) Off US President Donald Trump said he wanted Syria to invade Lebanon to fight Hezbollah, saying that President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s forces could have done a better job against the group than Israel. "Israel's fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed...I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah," Trump told reporters sitting alongside Qatar’s ruler on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France. "He's very capable," he said, referring to Sharaa.
📡 Middle East Eye6/8/20266.1/10
'Vulnerability exposed': War on Iran will change how the US bases troops in Gulf Submitted by Sean Mathews on Mon, 06/08/2026 - 15:48 Iran wants US to abandon its military bases in Gulf, yet the reality of drone warfare and military limits means US might have to downsize anyway A general view shows US Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar (AFP/File photo) Off In 2022, the US constructed a military base near Yanbu, on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Activity at the base surged during the US-Israeli war on Iran, as Iranian missiles and drones slammed into US bases closer to the Islamic Republic’s shores, current and former US officials tell Middle East Eye. “The whole point of LSA Jenkins is to support the Iran strategy by providing strategic depth beyond the immediate proximity of Iran’s shores,” Abbas Dahouk, a former US defence and army attache to Saudi Arabia, told Middle East Eye, using the acronym for the Logistical Support Area Jenkins base.
📡 Middle East Eye (RSS)