US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the United States is still willing to negotiate an end to the Iran crisis but Tehran is not serious about talks, as the widening conflict disrupted two of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.

Rubio made his comments in a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers a day after three oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea, apparently in response to threats from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.

The Houthis, who control the coast at the mouth of the Red Sea, announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia on Monday, opening a potential new front in the war which has killed thousands of people across the Gulf since it began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

With Iran already threatening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz leading out of the Gulf, the Red Sea has served as the main alternate route out for millions of barrels of Saudi oil per day.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire in efforts to salvage the interim ceasefire agreement signed by the US and Iran in June, which replaced an earlier April ceasefire.

In another sign that diplomacy remains alive, Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has visited mediator Pakistan and asked Islamabad to continue its efforts.

Rubio said Washington was “always committed to diplomacy” but doubted whether Tehran was equally committed to negotiations.

“The problem we’re having right now is that they’re not serious about talks. If they’re serious, we’re serious. If they’re not, then we will do what’s necessary to protect our interests, and also the interests of our allies,” Rubio said in Manila.

He stressed that Iran could not be allowed to control the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it would create a dangerous precedent for the world including Southeast Asian countries, many of which have territorial disputes in the South China Sea with China.

“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and if you don’t pay them blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent, which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region,” Rubio said.

With no diplomatic breakthrough in sight, the US military bombed targets across Iran for an 11th straight night on Tuesday. Tehran residents reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Wednesday as Iran activated its air defences over the capital, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said.

Three locations in Iran’s Bushehr Province, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, were hit by US attacks early on Wednesday, an official told Iran’s state news agency IRNA, including an electricity post close to the plant.

Iran’s army said it targeted US military facilities in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain with drones early on Wednesday. The army said it struck accommodation buildings and equipment storage facilities at Al Azraq air base in Jordan, and later targeted equipment warehouses and aircraft maintenance hangars at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain using Arash suicide drones.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify details of the attacks.

US President Donald Trump confirmed that 18 US service members had been killed so far in the war, including four in Iranian attacks on US military bases in Jordan and Iraq over the last few days.

Oil prices rose further in Asian trade on Wednesday after climbing more than 2% on Tuesday following the Houthi threats, with Brent crude hovering above $91 a barrel and US gasoline back over $4 a gallon.

“Gate of Tears”

In a letter to shippers, the Houthis on Tuesday threatened to attack any ships that load or discharge Saudi oil.

Trump said the Houthis had not yet shut the Bab el-Mandeb, the “Gate of Tears” strait leading into the Red Sea, and threatened to act against them if they did.

“So far it hasn’t happened,” Trump said. “If something like that happens, we take care of it.”

Three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on Tuesday, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than braving the Yemeni coast at the sea’s mouth.

Throughout the war, Saudi Arabia partially escaped the shipping disruption by piping oil to Yanbu on the Red Sea instead. But a full closure of that alternative route by the Houthis could reduce global oil supply as it would leave most Saudi oil exports trapped.

On Tuesday, Trump renewed his threats to again attack Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz “pretty soon”, which he said in June 2025 had been “totally obliterated” after the US military bombed the facility, buried in a mountain range, that month. Iran promised it would retaliate.

Fifty civilians have been killed and 500 wounded in the recent U.S. strikes on Iran, a health ministry official said.

The Saudi Ministry of Commerce has announced an exceptional three-month discount season, giving commercial establishments and online stores an additional opportunity to run promotional campaigns without affecting their annual allocation of permitted discount days, according to Okaz newspaper report in the Saudi Gazette said.

According to a circular issued to the Federation of Saudi Chambers, the exceptional discount season will run from August 1 to October 31, 2026. The period will not be counted as part of the annual limit for discount campaigns.

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The initiative is aimed at supporting the retail sector by providing businesses with greater flexibility to launch promotional offers while encouraging consumer spending during the three-month period.

Businesses encouraged to participate

The ministry said commercial establishments and e-commerce platforms can apply electronically for discount licenses through its website, allowing them to obtain, print and display the required permits for consumers with ease.

It also encouraged businesses to take advantage of the initiative while ensuring full compliance with the regulations governing promotional campaigns. The Federation of Saudi Chambers similarly urged private sector establishments to participate in the exceptional season to maximise benefits for both businesses and consumers.

Under the ministry’s existing regulations, commercial establishments are allowed to hold discount campaigns for up to 90 days each year, with the period divided into as many as three separate campaigns. Each license may cover a maximum of 45 days for either comprehensive or partial discounts.

The ministry clarified that the exceptional three-month discount season is entirely separate from the existing annual allocation. As a result, businesses will be able to conduct promotional campaigns during the August 1 to October 31 period without reducing the 90 days of discounts already permitted under current regulations, offering retailers an additional opportunity to attract shoppers and stimulate sales.

The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi has confirmed that passport, visa, attestation and other consular services across the UAE will be outsourced to Al Hind Tours & Travels from July 22, marking the formal rollout of a new nationwide application network after weeks of legal uncertainty over the tender process.

Under the new arrangement, services will be delivered through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) located across all seven emirates, replacing the temporary walk-in system that had been operating directly from the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

The announcement effectively clears the way for the transition after the outsourcing process was delayed by legal challenges in India. Last week, the Delhi High Court nullified the award of the contract to Alhind Tours & Travels following petitions by unsuccessful bidders challenging the technical evaluation process. The ruling came after the planned July 1 handover had already been suspended, forcing Indian diplomatic missions in the UAE to temporarily provide limited passport, visa and attestation services from their own premises.

Despite the legal setback, the Indian Embassy has now confirmed that Al Hind Tours & Travels will operate the outsourced services from July 22 through the network of ICACs that had already been established across the UAE.

According to the Embassy’s notice, applicants must book appointments through consularsevainuae.com, with appointment slots released twice daily at 9am and 9pm. Consular services will no longer be available at the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

The ICACs will operate daily from 8am to 6pm, with applicants permitted to enter only 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment. The Embassy advised applicants to ensure they select the correct service category when making bookings.

The outsourced network comprises six centres in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including Al Danah, Musaffah, Al Reem, Al Ain, Madinat Zayed and Ghayathi, while a further 10 centres will serve Dubai and the Northern Emirates. These include facilities in Bur Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, two locations in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Kalba and Khor Fakkan.

The Embassy said the outsourced service provider will levy a service charge of Dhs19, inclusive of VAT, in addition to Government of India fees. The charge covers ancillary services including form filling, photography, document typing, domestic courier, printouts and photocopying.

Certain categories, including Tatkal passport applications, newborn cases, Emergency Certificates (EC) and senior citizens aged 60 years and above, will continue to be accepted on a walk-in basis at all ICACs on a first-come, first-served basis.

The transition restores the outsourced delivery model for one of the UAE’s largest expatriate communities after weeks of disruption, with the new network expected to handle passport renewals, visas, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services, Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), attestation and other consular services through dedicated application centres across the country.

Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), has announced a landmark strategic partnership with Mastercard that will introduce the world’s first Jaywan-Mastercard co-badged credit card while strengthening the country’s digital payments infrastructure.

The agreement marks a major step in the UAE’s efforts to modernise its financial ecosystem, combining the capabilities of the national domestic card scheme, Jaywan, with Mastercard’s global payments network to deliver enhanced payment services for consumers, businesses and financial institutions.

Expanding the UAE’s payment ecosystem

As part of the collaboration, the partners will launch the first-ever Jaywan-Mastercard co-badged credit card, develop advanced infrastructure for switching and processing card payment transactions, and establish a new operations centre in the UAE. The centre will become part of Mastercard’s global network, providing advanced card payment services to local and regional markets, a WAM report said.

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The partnership is expected to strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading international financial hub by enabling the issuance of Jaywan co-badged credit cards that can be accepted worldwide. It will also see the implementation of a new Mastercard network node in the UAE, designed to process both domestic and international payment flows.

The move will place the UAE among the first countries to benefit from Mastercard’s latest payment technologies and services.

Supporting innovation and resilience

The partnership aligns with Al Etihad Payments’ mission to bring together banks, fintech companies, merchants and global technology providers to modernise the nation’s payment infrastructure.

By expanding payment options and supporting local innovation, the collaboration aims to improve resilience across the financial sector while helping businesses and financial institutions deliver more efficient services in an increasingly digital economy.

The launch of the Jaywan-Mastercard credit card, with Mastercard serving as the primary international scheme for the programme, is expected to deliver secure, simple and accessible payment experiences. It will also provide banks, fintech firms and merchants with additional capabilities to better serve customers, grow their businesses and contribute to the national economy.

Advanced payment capabilities

Under the agreement, Mastercard will deploy next-generation payment infrastructure across the UAE to support Jaywan debit, prepaid and co-badged credit cards.

The initiative will include advanced switching and processing capabilities, value-added services, cybersecurity solutions, fraud prevention tools and threat intelligence technologies. Drawing on Mastercard’s global expertise, the partnership aims to support the UAE’s national payment objectives while encouraging continued innovation across the sector.

Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, the CBUAE’s assistant governor for Banking Operations and Support Services and chairman of Al Etihad Payments, said, “This collaboration represents a defining moment for the UAE’s payments ecosystem. By combining national infrastructure with global innovation, we are strengthening sovereignty, resilience and choice, while accelerating the UAE’s journey toward a future-ready financial system.”

Dr Dimitrios Dosis, president, EEMEA, Mastercard, added, “As Mastercard celebrates forty years in the UAE, this latest milestone with Al Etihad Payments reflects how together we can strengthen the foundation for continued growth in trade, tourism and commerce. We are bringing together trusted technology, global scale and deep local relationships to strengthen domestic resiliency while remaining deeply connected to the global economy.”

As the partnership develops, Al Etihad Payments and Mastercard said they will continue exploring flexible, market-driven solutions that support the UAE’s digital transformation agenda, expand payment choice and further strengthen the country’s future-ready domestic payments ecosystem.

Dubai has launched a new tourism initiative that encourages residents to become ambassadors for the city by inviting friends and family from overseas to experience everything the emirate has to offer. The newly unveiled ‘Invite’ campaign rewards eligible UAE residents with exclusive benefits worth more than Dhs3,000 when their nominated guests travel to Dubai between July 20 and October 31, 2026.

The initiative reflects Dubai’s continued efforts to drive international visitor numbers through personal connections, recognising that recommendations from family and friends remain among the strongest influences on travel decisions. By combining attractive incentives with a simple nomination process, the campaign is designed to generate additional tourism while giving residents another reason to reconnect with loved ones.

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The reward package includes a collection of exclusive hotel stays, dining experiences, attraction tickets and other curated offers that can be redeemed until December 31, 2026, subject to individual terms and conditions.

Turning residents into tourism ambassadors

Unlike traditional tourism campaigns that focus solely on international advertising, Dubai’s latest initiative places residents at the centre of its visitor strategy.

With more than 200 nationalities calling the emirate home, residents maintain strong personal ties with families and friends across the world. The campaign leverages these relationships by encouraging people who already know and love Dubai to introduce the destination to those who may be considering their next holiday.

Rather than simply suggesting a visit, residents now have an additional incentive to actively encourage travel, creating value for both themselves and their guests.

The programme also aligns with Dubai’s broader ambition of maintaining year-round tourism momentum by stimulating travel during the campaign period while encouraging visitors to explore multiple aspects of the city’s tourism offering.

Driving business across the hospitality sector

Beyond rewarding residents, the campaign is expected to create additional opportunities for hotels, restaurants, attractions and leisure operators participating in the initiative.

Every additional visitor contributes to the wider tourism economy through accommodation bookings, restaurant spending, retail purchases and entertainment experiences. By encouraging residents to invite people they already have close relationships with, the campaign taps into a visitor segment that often stays longer, travels in groups and explores the destination more extensively.

Hospitality businesses also benefit from greater exposure, with participating hotels and attractions using the campaign to showcase premium experiences that may encourage repeat visits in the future.

Industry experts have increasingly recognised the importance of referral-based tourism, where trusted recommendations from friends and relatives can be more influential than traditional marketing campaigns. Dubai’s latest initiative builds on this concept by rewarding residents for helping expand the city’s international visitor base.

More than just accommodation

A key feature of the programme is the breadth of experiences included within the rewards package.

Rather than focusing exclusively on discounted accommodation, the campaign combines hospitality with lifestyle experiences that allow participants to enjoy different sides of Dubai. Depending on the participating venue and individual offer, benefits may include hotel stays, preferential room rates, complimentary upgrades, dining privileges, attraction access, spa savings and other exclusive experiences.

The combination allows residents to enjoy premium experiences while discovering new venues across the city, while visitors also gain access to some of Dubai’s renowned hospitality and leisure offerings.

By bringing together accommodation, dining and entertainment within a single rewards programme, the initiative creates a more complete experience that reflects Dubai’s position as a destination offering far more than a traditional city break.

A straightforward process for participants

Residents wishing to participate can nominate up to five visitors at a time through the campaign’s official nomination platform, with additional nominations accepted through separate submissions.

Once at least one nominated visitor arrives in Dubai during the campaign period, authorities will verify the arrival before issuing the resident’s rewards package via email. Benefits are expected to be distributed within 72 hours of verification, with packages being issued during August 2026.

The programme is open to UAE residents and citizens aged 18 or above who hold a valid Emirates ID. Eligible visitors must be non-UAE residents travelling on a valid tourist visa or qualifying for visa on arrival, although visa arrangements remain the responsibility of the visitor.

To ensure fairness, each visitor can only be nominated once during the campaign, while participating residents can receive a maximum of three reward packages.

Supporting Dubai’s long-term tourism vision

The launch comes as Dubai continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations through innovative campaigns that extend beyond conventional destination marketing.

Instead of relying solely on promotional advertising, the emirate is increasingly encouraging authentic experiences and word-of-mouth recommendations to attract international travellers. Friends and relatives who visit often experience Dubai through a local perspective, discovering neighbourhoods, restaurants and attractions that may not feature in traditional travel itineraries.

This approach not only enhances the visitor experience but also supports businesses across multiple sectors of the tourism economy.

For hotels, restaurants and attractions, the campaign creates opportunities to welcome new guests while showcasing the quality of Dubai’s hospitality. For residents, it transforms hosting family and friends into a rewarding experience, offering exclusive privileges that extend beyond the visit itself.

Creating shared experiences

At its core, the ‘Invite’ campaign is about more than rewards. It is designed to encourage meaningful reunions while giving residents an opportunity to share the city they call home with the people who matter most.

Whether introducing first-time visitors to Dubai’s iconic landmarks, enjoying world-class dining or experiencing the city’s diverse entertainment and cultural attractions together, the initiative aims to make every visit more memorable.

By combining practical savings with premium hospitality experiences, the campaign creates benefits for residents, visitors and the wider tourism industry alike. As Dubai continues to innovate in destination marketing, the initiative demonstrates how personal connections can become a powerful driver of tourism growth, turning every invitation into an opportunity to strengthen relationships, support local businesses and showcase the city’s world-renowned hospitality.