United Arab Emirates announces withdrawal from OPEC oil cartel effective May 1
Issued on: 28/04/2026 - 07:02Modified: 28/04/2026 - 15:13
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The United Arab Emirates says it intends to quit the oil cartel OPEC effective May 1, announcing the decision Tuesday via its state media agency WAM, adding it reflected its strategic vision for “accelerated investment in domestic energy production”. The UAE has increasingly come into conflict with Saudi Arabia, particularly over economic issues and the war in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
28/04/2026 - 15:10BP says set to maximise yield of jet and diesel
UAE says it will quit OPEC oil cartel effective May 1
The United Arab Emirates will withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC+ oil cartels on May 1, state media said on Tuesday, calling it a strategic decision by the major producer.
"This decision reflects the UAE's long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile," the official WAM news agency said.
28/04/2026 - 13:39Airlines body chief flags concern for jet fuel shortage in peak summer period
The jet fuel crisis triggered by the Iran war has not yet reached the scale of what happened during COVID, but a shortage during the peak summer period in the northern hemisphere is a concern, the head of the International Air Transport Association said.
Willie Walsh said that demand has remained strong around the world, but that a jet fuel shortage could impact Asia first, then Europe, then Africa and Latin America, with some flight cancellations in order if fuel is rationed.
28/04/2026 - 13:32Iran bans steel exports, local media reports
Iran has banned the export of steel products, local media reported citing customs authorities, after air strikes targeted the country's steel industry in the war with Israel and the United States.
Fars news agency reported a directive from the Islamic Republic's customs authorities "regarding the prohibition of the export" of steel products, effective from April 26.
28/04/2026 - 12:57Qatar warns against 'frozen conflict' in Gulf
"We do not want to see a return to hostilities in the region anytime soon, we do not want to see a frozen conflict that ends up being thawed every time there is a political reason," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said at a press conference, as talks between the US and Iran for a peace deal appeared at an impasse.
Iran eases internet curbs for businesses as blackout enters third month
Iran's top security body has approved a temporary scheme for businesses to access the global internet with fewer restrictions, after the authorities had imposed a blackout since the start of the war against the US and Israel.
"The Supreme National Security Council approved the 'Internet Pro' scheme to preserve businesses during times of crisis," government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said. She did not say when the new measures, which had not been previously disclosed by the government, had been introduced.
"Once the situation is announced to be normal by relevant authorities, the situation of the internet will also change," she added, stressing that the government was receptive to people's demands and believed in access to the internet as a civil right.
28/04/2026 - 12:22Five sentenced to life in Bahrain for plotting 'terrorist' acts with Iran
Five people were sentenced to life in Bahrain for plotting "terrorist and hostile acts" with Iran, which has bombarded the tiny Gulf state during the Middle East war.
"The Public Prosecution affirms that the crime of communicating with hostile foreign entities against the Kingdom of Bahrain is considered one of the most serious crimes affecting national security," Bahrain's public prosecution said in a statement on X.
- UAE says it will quit OPEC oil cartel effective May 1
- Iran praises Russia ties after Putin meeting
- Trump not happy with Iran's latest proposal to end the war, US official says
- First tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas leaves the Gulf, Kpler reports
- Israeli military tells people to leave more than a dozen towns in southern Lebanon and head north
Israeli military tells people to leave more than a dozen towns in southern Lebanon and head north
Israel's military issued an urgent warning to residents in more than a dozen villages and towns in southern Lebanon, urging them to leave their homes and head north immediately and signalling an imminent attack.
The warning said the action was necessary due what the military claimed was a violation by Hezbollah of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
28/04/2026 - 11:02First tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas leaves the Gulf, Kpler reports
A ship fully loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) has passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the Middle East war virtually closed the route in early March, marine tracking firm Kpler said.
The LNG carrier Mubaraz, controlled by the Emirati national oil company Adnoc, left the Gulf in April with 132,890 cubic metres of LNG on board, having loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates on March 2, according to Kpler data analysed by AFP.
28/04/2026 - 10:18Israel spy chief hails 'groundbreaking' operations in Iran and Lebanon
The head of Israel's Mossad has praised what he described as the spy agency's "groundbreaking" operations in the war against Iran and Hezbollah, saying it acquired intelligence "from the heart of the enemy's secrets".
"In the campaigns against Iran and Hezbollah, we worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the IDF, on both defence and offence," David Barnea said, referring to the Israeli military.
His remarks were delivered during a commendation ceremony at Mossad headquarters on Monday and published on Tuesday.
"We acquired strategic and tactical intelligence from the heart of the enemy's secrets," Barnea said, adding that Mossad had "proved new, groundbreaking operational capabilities in target countries".
28/04/2026 - 09:49Iran says US no longer in position to 'dictate' policy to other nations
Iran said othat the United States was no longer able to "dictate" what other countries do, as Washington weighed a new proposal from Tehran on ending the Middle East war.
"The United States is no longer in a position to dictate its policy to independent nations," defence ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik said, according to state TV, adding Washington would "accept that it must abandon its illegal and irrational demands".
28/04/2026 - 09:28Iran willing to share defensive capabilities with Asian partners, deputy defence minister says
Iran is ready to share its defensive weapons capabilities with "independent countries, especially members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)", Deputy Defence Minister Reza Talaei-Nik said during a meeting of SCO defence ministers held in the Kyrgyz capital, Iranian state media reported.
28/04/2026 - 09:28Gulf Cooperation Council meets for an exceptional summit in Jeddah
The Gulf Cooperation Council will convene an exceptional summit in Jeddah on Tuesday, Kuwait's
state news agency said.
Kuwait's crown prince is heading to the summit, the agency added.
Trump not happy with Iran's latest proposal to end the war, US official says
US President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal on resolving the two-month war, a US official told Reuters.
Iran's latest proposal would set aside discussion of Iran's nuclear programme until the war is ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved.
That is unlikely to satisfy the US, which says nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset, and Trump was unhappy with Iran's proposal for that reason, a US official briefed on the president's Monday meeting with his advisers said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A previous agreement in 2015 between Iran and multiple other countries including the US sharply curtailed Iran's nuclear programme, which it has long maintained is for peaceful, civilian purposes.
But that deal fell apart when Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in his first term in office.
28/04/2026 - 06:47US says it's examining Iran's latest proposal
The US administration is examining Iran's latest proposal to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told a press briefing.
Trump met with top security advisors on Monday to discuss an Iranian proposal after Tehran passed "written messages" to Washington via Pakistan, spelling out its red lines in negotiations, including on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, the Fars news agency reported.
Asked about the terms of Iran's proposal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News "it's better than what we thought they were going to submit", but questioned whether it was genuine.
"We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point," he said.
Iran's top diplomat blamed Washington for the failure of peace talks during a visit to Russia on Monday.
"The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
28/04/2026 - 05:17Iran praises Russia ties after Putin meeting
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he welcomed Russia’s support for diplomacy and praised the strength of ties between the two countries after meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Monday, saying recent events had demonstrated the depth of their strategic partnership.
Russia has offered to mediate to help restore calm to the Middle East following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that Moscow has strongly condemned.
Russia has also repeatedly offered to store Iran’s enriched uranium as a way of defusing tensions, a proposal spurned by the United States.
Yesterday's key developments:
- US President Donald Trump discussed the new Iranian proposal on resolving the war with Tehran with his top national security aides, raising concerns over its failure to address the country's nuclear programme.
- Russia’s President Vladimir Putin hosted Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a show of support for Tehran's interests, and Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, who is visiting Kyrgyzstan, held talks with Iran’s Deputy Defence Minister Reza Talaei-Nik.
- France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told a UN Security Council session that Iran needed to make "major concessions" to end the war. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned the US's exit strategy in the Middle East.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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