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The United Nations launched the operation to recover some 1m barrels of oil from the stricken FSO Safer tanker off the coast of Yemen, but it says it is still some $29m short of its funding target to complete the operation.

Revised June 2023, this map illustrates Yemen's oil and gas infrastructure and boundary between Yemen Arab Republic and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.  The locations of exploration and production blocks, oil and gas fields and pipelines are marked alongside associated infrastructure including oil refineries, gas processing plants, tanker terminals and LNG facilities. The map is available as a PDF file using eps graphics, meaning that there is no loss of resolution as the file is enlarged.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has begun to deploy its new class of drone carriers beyond its territorial waters, giving Tehran the potential to launch drone and missile strikes from a wider range of locations.

A major sticking point to be resolved in debates over elections to Iraq's Kurdistan Parliament is whether to reform a system that sets aside 11 seats for ethnic and religious minorities in the 111-seat chamber. Five seats are reserved for Christians, five for Turkmens and one for an Armenian representative.

An Iranian naval commander has claimed GCC states are interested in joining a new coalition to patrol regional waters. Given the concerns in many capitals about recent Iranian seizures of oil tankers that seems unlikely to progress, but the UAE has recently pulled out of the US-led Combined Maritime Forces – seemingly due to unhappiness about the amount of support Washington is willing to give to its regional partners.

The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has said Qatar needs to make major improvements in its approach to tackling complex money laundering and terrorist financing cases.

Qatar's Interior minister and Lekhwiya commander Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani has been raising his profile on the regional stage.

Sayyid Bilarab Bin Haitham Al-Said, the younger son of Oman's Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said, embarked on a visit to Switzerland in June in an effort to deepen trading relations and explore opportunities with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and affiliated institutions.

Voter turnout for Qatar's Central Municipal Council (CMC) election on 22 June was the lowest in 20 years, with just 40.7% of those eligible to vote taking part.

Ras Al-Khaimah’s Sheikh Humaid Bin Khalid Al-Qasimi has been appointed chairman of The Rare Age Technologies, a Dubai-based group which aims to use blockchain technology to make museums and art galleries more accessible.

Oil exports: Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani held talks with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss oil exports, in a meeting in Ankara on 20 June. In late March, Turkey halted exports via the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline following an arbitration ruling by the Paris-based International Court of Arbitration.

The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) kept the UAE on its 'grey list' of jurisdictions under increased monitoring. The UAE is one of 26 jurisdictions on the grey list, alongside the likes of Jordan, Turkey and Yemen. The inter-governmental watchdog also kept Iran on its 'black list' of high-risk jurisdictions, alongside North Korea and Myanmar.

Russia is providing the bulk of Saudi diesel and fuel oil imports, as power generation and wider growth increase domestic demand according to recent industry reports. Saudi officials have argued this trade predates Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but market data highlight the depth of bilateral relations.

Revised June 2023, this map illustrates Iraq's oil and gas infrastructure.  The locations of onshore and offshore oil and gas fields and pipelines are marked alongside associated infrastructure including oil refineries, gas processing plants, tanker terminals and LNG facilities. An accompanying box displays governorate populations and political parties with the most seats following the 2021 election. The map is available as a PDF file using eps graphics, meaning that there is no loss of resolution as the file is enlarged.

The launch of the Saudi-backed Hadhramaut National Council on 19 June has underlined fears that Yemen could break up into three distinct areas, with the Houthis controlling Sanaa and other parts of the north, while the rest of the country is divided between the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council and other groups supported by Saudi Arabia.