The transformations unfolding across Darfur under the expanding influence of the UAE-backed RSF are no longer confined to shifting front lines in the militia’s war against the Sudanese army; they are reaching into the region's political and social fabric.

In a striking irony, Oman, long seen as a key regional mediator and a trusted channel of communication between Washington and Tehran, has found itself under pressure from its own American ally, after Trump threatened to “blow it up” if it aligned with Iran on the sensitive issue of the Strait of Hormuz.

Recent drone attacks from Iraq against Saudi Arabia and the UAE, linked to Iran-aligned militias, have sparked Gulf condemnation and renewed concerns over Iraq’s ability to control armed groups amid regional tensions and political debate over Iranian influence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to reveal his visit to the UAE after learning that former Israeli Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett was expected to travel to the UAE the following day for meetings with its president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and senior Emirati officials.

On the evening of May 3, 2026, the southern city of Aden was shaken by a crime that revived memories of the lawlessness that followed Yemen’s war.