Lebanon agreement under pressure, Syria-Gulf trade routes expand and Dubai unveils major road project

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, debate continues over Lebanon’s new agreement with Israel, with former US envoy Jeffrey Feltman questioning President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Syria should take on Hezbollah. Legal experts also warn that a clause in the agreement could complicate efforts by victims of the war to pursue international accountability. We also have the latest on US-Iran diplomacy, as Qatar says this week’s indirect negotiations in Doha made positive progress towards a permanent agreement. The talks focused on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear programme, Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian assets. Syria says it is ready to become a new trade gateway linking the Gulf to the Mediterranean, with officials welcoming plans for new transport corridors through Iraq that could reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and strengthen the UAE’s role in regional logistics. In business, Dubai’s inflation reaches its highest level in months as higher fuel, transport and food prices continue to weigh on the economy following the US-Iran conflict, although economists expect price pressures to ease later this year. And Dubai approves a major new elevated road alongside Sheikh Zayed Road as part of an 18 billion dirham development package that also includes new cultural, investment and urban planning initiatives. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.