Bahrain

Iran’s Football Federation has agreed to allow women to attend upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers of their men’s national team but that approval from the government is still needed.

The cancellation of a concert by rapper Nicki Minaj in Saudi Arabia triggered a fresh social media storm on Wednesday, with many fans in the ultra-conservative kingdom voicing disappointment and demanding ticket refunds.

Two military training aircraft have collided in mid-air without causing any casualties in Qatar as both pilots ejected safely, according to the Gulf nation's defence ministry.

Bahrain on Friday summoned an Iraqi diplomat in the kingdom over an attack the previous evening on its embassy in Baghdad, condemning the protesters who stormed the mission and urging Iraqi authorities to protect the diplomatic compound, Bahrain’s state-run news agency reported.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard force said Thursday it shot down a US "spy drone" over its territory, Iranian state television reported.

Political leaders and heads of state from Islamic nations on Saturday condemned countries who have made the "illegal and irresponsible decision" to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and aide Jared Kushner was in Jerusalem on Thursday as part of a Middle East trip focused on the White House’s expected plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

A multilateral diplomat Dr Babafemi Badejo has hailed what he sees as a peace move initiated by a Bahraini leader to Qatar, saying it accorded with the Ramadan spirit.

FIFA shelved a proposed expansion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the world football body’s president Gianni Infantino.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played with 32 teams after a proposed expansion of the tournament to 48 sides was scrapped, FIFA announced on Wednesday.

The Palestinian leadership on Monday pushed back against a plan for an economic conference next month in support of Washington’s Middle East peace plan, saying it was not consulted and no party was entitled to negotiate on its behalf.

The US government has approved the deployment of a Patriot missile defence battery and another war ship to the Middle East amid increasing tensions between the US and Iran.

Iran will not allow any country replace its oil sales in the global market, the Foreign Ministry on Thursday said, after the U.S. told importers to halt Iranian purchases from May.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Abbas Mousavi, issued a statement on Monday that warned of “adverse consequences” if the U.S. ended their sanctions waiver on the Persian Gulf nation’s oil imports.

An Israeli delegation composed of businessmen and government officials has cancelled its participation in a conference set to take place in Bahrain.

A top Omani government official has said Arabs must take initiatives to make Israel overcome "fears for its future" in the region, drawing criticism from Jordan.

India set their sights on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup as Praful Patel became their first representative on the powerful FIFA Council on Saturday.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Saturday hailed the re-election of Asian football chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, saying it will help the region move forward in stability.