A concise round-up of the region’s top news stories this morningThe NationalJuly 08, 2026In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, air raid sirens sound across Kuwait and Bahrain after the US renews strikes on Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices also climb as Washington restores sanctions on Iranian oil exports after the attacks in the waterway.We also report on the uncertainty surrounding the next round of negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials, after Israel announced talks in Rome that Lebanon says it has not yet been notified about.In the UAE, Abu Dhabi establishes a specialised court for human trafficking cases as part of wider efforts to strengthen legal protections for victims and to help tackle organised crime.Meanwhile, recruiters say the UAE jobs market is beginning to recover after weeks of geopolitical uncertainty, with employers expected to resume hiring more actively after the summer. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.Updated: July 08, 2026, 6:59 AMMore Podcasts