Rubio visits Gulf to discuss Iran deal, Qatar blast kills 13 and UAE hotels see strong recovery

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins a tour of the Gulf to discuss Washington’s interim agreement with Iran. His meetings in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain are expected to focus on the next phase of negotiations, security in the Strait of Hormuz and unresolved issues including the conflict in Lebanon and Iran’s ballistic missile programme. We also have the latest from Qatar, where at least 13 people have been killed and 66 injured in an explosion at the Barzan gas facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City. In the UK, the race to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer has prompted calls for a tougher approach to the Palestine-Israel crisis, with campaign groups urging the next leader to adopt stronger sanctions and expand support for international legal action. In Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, leads a review of the emirate’s sovereign wealth funds as senior officials assess investment performance and long-term economic strategy amid the global uncertainty. And across the UAE, hotel operators say tourism is beginning to recover after the US-Iran agreement, owing to easing travel advisories and a stronger conference season. The Wynn resort in Ras Al Khaimah, set to open next year, is also expected to support the sector's rebound. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.