US draws up options for new Iran strikes despite Trump poll pledge
The US military is drawing up options for renewed large-scale strikes against Iran, including an intensive three-day campaign targeting missile and drone facilities, even as President Donald Trump has ruled out renewed attacks before the November 3 midterm elections. The Pentagon, acting on Trump’s orders, has developed options to strike Iran’s missile and drone arsenal, energy facilities and…
The UAE's economy expanded by 0.4% annually during the first half of 2026, reaching Dh961.9 billion ($262 billion), according to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. This growth was primarily fueled by the non-oil sector, which increased its contribution to the GDP by 1.8% to 79.2%. The FCSC attributed these results to the UAE's ongoing economic diversification and the growing influence of non-oil activities.
The center noted that these expanding contributions signify a diverse range of growth drivers, supporting sustainable and balanced economic development across multiple sectors. In the second quarter alone, the real GDP fell by 2.1% annually to Dh476.9 billion. However, even this decline was largely due to the non-oil sectors, which contracted by 1.1%, primarily because of regional developments and travel disruptions, particularly in tourism, transport, and trade.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
- UAE economy grew in first half of 2026 despite impact of Iran war thenationalnews.com
- US weighs fresh strikes on Iran before midterms dailytimes.com.pk
