Greater Tunb struck, US approves arms for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and Museum of the Future set for revamp

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the regional war reaches occupied UAE territory after US forces strike Iranian military positions on Greater Tunb. The UAE island was seized by Tehran in 1971. Washington says the operation struck coastal defence systems and other military infrastructure to weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Jordan and Kuwait report intercepting renewed Iranian attacks. We also examine Washington’s approval of nearly $2.5 billion in new military equipment sales to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In Rome, Lebanon and Israel make progress in their US-backed negotiations, agreeing to advance the plan for pilot security zones in southern Lebanon while technical talks continue. We also look at new US transparency rules that could force Gulf family offices investing in activist campaigns on Wall Street to reveal their identities for the first time. And Dubai’s Museum of the Future prepares for its biggest transformation since opening, with every major exhibition set to be replaced before a relaunch in early 2027. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.