Isabel Debre

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, accompanied by the Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, right, arrive to visit the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, as part of their visit to the Gulf, Nov. 25, 2010. (Arthur Edwards/AP)

September 15, 2022, 10:47 am

Queen Elizabeth II’s reign saw British leave Mideast with a mixed legacy

Emotional and financial ties to England run deep in the region, where a handful of monarchs installed by Britain still remain in power

By Isabel Debre

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb, July 2022. (Ammar Albadri/Photo provided by Enas Taleb via AP)

August 17, 2022, 11:58 am

Economist article on ‘fat’ Arab women panned as misogynistic, body-shaming

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb sues UK magazine for defamation, as controversial piece renews discussion of body image, Western beauty standards in conservative societies

By Isabel Debre and MAGGIE HYDE

In this February 23, 2017 photo, US Army soldiers stand outside their armored vehicle on a joint base with the Iraqi army, south of Mosul, Iraq. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed, File)

July 21, 2022, 8:25 pm

Senior US general warns Iran could resume attacks on American troops

Air Force’s new top general in the Middle East, Alexus Grynkewich, also expresses fears of Russian and Chinese influence taking hold in region

By Isabel Debre

Illustrative: A man stands under American and Saudi Arabian flags prior to a visit by US President Joe Biden, at a square in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, July 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

July 19, 2022, 1:04 pm

US arrests Saudi harasser of dissidents, showing depth of Riyadh’s reach abroad

Kingdom’s campaign to silence criticism has played out in America for some time; ‘This guy is just the tip of the iceberg,’ says analyst

By Isabel Debre

A gas station attendant fills a gas tank in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, July 10, 2022. AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

July 12, 2022, 11:42 am

High UAE gas prices stand out where cheap fuel was the norm

Prices have risen over 70% since Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting state to increases welfare spending for Emiratis; foreign workers strike

By Isabel Debre

Muslim worshipers offer Eid al-Adha prayers in Jerusalem's Old City, July 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

July 9, 2022, 1:14 pm

Millions of Muslims around the world commemorate Eid al-Adha amid soaring food costs

While many cut back on traditional feasts as prices rocket, community prayers return — a welcome sight for many after years of COVID restrictions

By amr nabil and Isabel Debre

Illustrative: A US Navy Seahawk helicopter flies over a stateless dhow later found to be carrying a hidden arms shipment in the Arabian Sea, May 6, 2021. (US Navy via AP)

July 7, 2022, 3:58 pm

In first, British Navy seizes advanced Iranian weapons en route to Yemen

Announcement viewed as strongest proof yet that Tehran is arming Houthi rebels, violating UN arms embargo; development marks escalation in Iran’s relationship with West

By Isabel Debre

A general view of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque is seen during the Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

July 7, 2022, 3:15 pm

A hajj closer to normal: 1 million Muslims begin annual pilgrimage at Mecca

After two years of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, massive religious festival gets underway, though some limitations remain

By amr nabil and Isabel Debre

A screenshot from what is believed to be closed-circuit footage obtained from Iran's Khuzestan Steel Co. factory floor where a piece of heavy machinery on a steel billet production line malfunctions and causes a massive fire, June 27, 2022. (Screenshot: Twitter)

June 28, 2022, 2:01 am

Large cyberattack on Iranian industrial sector targets three steel plants

Closed-circuit footage shows massive fire on production line at state-owned facility forced to halt production; anonymous hacking group cites ‘aggression of Islamic Republic’

By Isabel Debre

Illustrative - In this May 31, 2012 file photo, an Iranian worker cuts a steel roll (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

June 27, 2022, 1:21 pm

Cyberattack forces Iranian state-owned steel plant to stop production

Incident is apparently one of biggest such assaults on Iran’s strategic industrial sector recently; firm claims attack thwarted, facility not operating due to ‘technical problems’

By Isabel Debre

Ruins of a tower at under construction 10-story Metropol Building after it collapsed in the southwestern city of Abadan, Iran, in a photo released May 27, 2022. (Iranian Senior Vice-President Office via AP)

May 30, 2022, 12:36 pm

Iranian protesters clash with police after building collapse death toll reaches 32

Protesters in Abadan shout down government representatives; riot police crack down on demonstrators with clubs, tear gas; more victims feared buried under rubble

By Jon Gambrell and Isabel Debre

Swedish-Iranian researcher Ahmedreza Djalali is seen in Barcelona, Spain in 2014, before Iran sentenced Djalali to death for allegedly spying for Israel. (Vida Mehrannia via AP)

May 12, 2022, 12:18 pm

Wife of Swedish-Iranian facing death as ‘Mossad spy’ says Iran is ‘sacrificing’ him

Ahmad Reza Jalali is set to be executed within 9 days; experts say case is example of Iranian tactic of holding dual-nationals hostage as diplomatic chips

By Isabel Debre

Rabbi Elie Abadie says a blessing as he hosts a lunch for a Jewish business delegation at a villa that serves as a temporary synagogue for his congregation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

May 11, 2022, 5:16 pm

Despite normalization with Israel, plans for Dubai synagogue at a standstill

Fast-growing Jewish community is running up against series of hurdles in the Gulf, where non-Muslim practice is tightly controlled and permits for religious buildings are limited

By Isabel Debre

A food-delivery worker for Deliveroo takes a moment as he returns to work in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 2, 2022. (Isabel Debre/AP)

May 10, 2022, 1:44 pm

Dubai delivery workers go on 2nd illegal strike to protest meager pay

Foreign drivers contracted by local unit of German company push for pay increase from $2.04 per delivery to $2.72 to offset UAE’s spiking gas prices and other costs

By Isabel Debre

A delivery driver for the app Deliveroo prepares to make a delivery, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)

May 2, 2022, 5:27 pm

Dubai food delivery drivers launch rare strike to protest pay cuts

Mass walkout paralyzes Deliveroo, one of the country’s main delivery apps, and revives concerns about labor conditions in the Gulf emirate

By Isabel Debre