Gaza faces pregnancy crisis, Iran talks resume in Doha and experts hail UAE anti-drug campaign

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Gaza health officials warn that the rate of miscarriages has risen to nearly 50 per cent. Doctors blame malnutrition, contaminated water, collapsing healthcare services and repeated displacement, with hundreds of miscarriages recorded in a month. We also turn to Doha, where Qatar is hosting a round of talks aimed at implementing the interim agreement between the US and Iran. While Qatari mediators continue efforts to move the process forward, Tehran insists its delegation is meeting only with Qatari officials and not American envoys. The future of the Strait of Hormuz remains under scrutiny as proposals for voluntary shipping service fees gather momentum despite opposition from the US. In Lebanon, the implementation of a US-brokered agreement with Israel is slowing as Israeli troop withdrawals from southern Lebanese areas are delayed. That has raised new questions about the next phase of the deal. And in the UAE, experts welcome the launch of a national anti-drug campaign, saying lasting progress will depend on addressing the psychological causes of addiction, reducing stigma and making it easier to access treatment. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.