Aya Batrawy

Senior national security officials from the #UAE and #Iran held a face-to-face meeting for the first time since the start of the #US-Israeli war against Tehran, sources say. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… My latest with @samdagher

Today in Gaza

The sacred Hajj pilgrimage performed by around 2 million Muslims this week is protected by anti missile systems

1 year ago today: israel killed the husband and 9 children of Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar, a pediatric doctor at Nasser Hospital. Just minutes after Dr. Alaa left her home that morning, an airstrike hit their house, killing 9 of their children: Yahya (12), Rakan (10), Eve (9), Jubran (8), Raslan (7), Rifan (5), Sadeen (3), Luqman (2), and Sidar (6 months old). Her husband, Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, also a doctor at Nasser Hospital, was severely injured and died a week later. Their tenth child, Adam (11), survived with serious injuries and later had his hand amputated. The bodies were said to have been burned beyond recognition, mutilated, and decapitated. Two of them, Yahya and Sidar, were never found.

More than 150 people, including 120 children, were killed in Iran when an airstrike hit a school in Minab. Although a preliminary US military investigation determined Washington was responsible, the Trump administration is yet to formally accept responsibility. Sky's ＠DominicWaghorn is the first international journalist to visit Minab. Warning: contains distressing content.

.@ayaelb reports for @MorningEdition - Israel says Netanyahu secretly visited the UAE. The UAE denies it happened npr.org/2026/05/15/nx-…

With the Israeli military standing by, the Asasa family was left with no choice but to ***bow to the settler's demands*** and carry the father's body from the grave Harrowing report by NPR's @Rsherlock and Nuha Musleh in the West Bank Listen:👂 npr.org/2026/05/10/nx-…

I spoke with foreign workers here in Dubai weeks ago who told me about delayed salaries, reduced salaries and economic fallout from the war There was also faith in Dubai's ability to bounce back Link here: npr.org/2026/04/24/nx-…

.@ayaelb reports for @npratc - 'Project Freedom' aimed at wrangling control of Hormuz ends after less than 48 hours npr.org/2026/05/06/nx-…

Bahrain officially repealed part of its nationality law, making nationality a sovereign decision not subject to judicial review. Citizenship revocations - such as the 69 made on alleged security grounds last week - can no longer be challenged in court. gdnonline.com/Details/139305…

Latest @npr on humor, pride and skepticism from Pakistanis during their country's diplomatic rise. This mixture is part of why it's so fun to cover this country: npr.org/2026/04/21/nx-…

"Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in #Gaza, the result of Israeli air bombardment and land military operations. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 47 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙮." - @UN_Women

First high-level call between Iran and UAE since more than 2500 Iranian attacks on the country

I spoke with doctors volunteering in Gaza. Here's what they say is really happening, 6 moths into a ceasefire. Two-minute listen here 👇🏽

@pressfreedom NPR's @gbrumfiel and I reported about how the US, Iran, Gulf states and Israel worked to censor, control the narrative and suppress information to varying degrees during the war: ideastream.org/2026-04-10/how… Listen here 👇 npr.org/2026/04/12/nx-…

Lots of reporting - based on anonymous US officials speaking to WaPo and NYT- about how Saudi wants regime change and the war to go on. FT report has a different take- and adds Arab ambassadors gasped at Trump's threat to obliterate nuclear plants in Iran ft.com/content/dcbd54…

@GiorgioCafiero @KelleyBVlahos @connor_echols @RStatecraft @GTazmini @DEsfandiary @andreas_krieg Hi, I tried to email you this week. Can you send me your whatsapp to connect? abatrawy@npr.org Thanks!

Many thanks to @KelleyBVlahos, @connor_echols, and the rest of the team at @RStatecraft for publishing my latest analysis, which features quotes from @GTazmini, @DEsfandiary, and @andreas_krieg. responsiblestatecraft.org/strait-of-horm… #IranWar‌ #UAE

Bloomberg reports: As a result of Iranian attacks on the aluminum plant of the Emirates Global Aluminum Company in the Al-Tawila, the plant lost its power, the electrolysis lines stopped uncontrollably and the aluminum solidified right inside the smelting circuits. The aluminum plant of the Bahrain Aluminum Company in Manama was also targeted by the attacks. The aluminum plants in the Emirates and Manama were among the largest in the world, each producing 1.6 million tons of aluminum annually.

💢 NEW: Iranian strikes damage one of world’s largest aluminum hubs in UAE Emirates Global Aluminium said its Al Taweelah site at Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) sustained “significant damage” in Iranian missile and drone attacks, with interceptions sparking fires and multiple workers injured, though none critically. The site is a cornerstone of both the UAE economy and global supply chains. It produced 1.6 million tonnes of aluminum in 2025, and EGA accounts for roughly 4% of global production. The strike follows Israeli attacks that caused extensive damage to two of Iran’s largest steel plants, as well as power and nuclear infrastructure. Iranian officials had warned of retaliation and urged U.S. and Israel-linked industrial facilities in the region to evacuate. Al Taweelah is among the largest single-site smelters in the world and a key supplier of high-purity “premium aluminum” used in aerospace, automotive, and advanced manufacturing. Aluminum is the UAE’s largest export after oil and gas, reaching customers in over 50 countries, with the sector supporting around 60,000 jobs. The facility also anchors the country’s push into advanced manufacturing, recycling, and low-carbon “green aluminum.” Damage assessments are ongoing. (Source: Bloomberg, Reuters, official statement)

This attack in Abu Dhabi is after US-Israeli strikes hit two important steel facilities in Iran