# Hottub Newsmap · Week 39, 2026 · Middle East

Middle East, Week 39, 2026: 21–27 September 2026 · Coverage by where it was published · 4,176 reports from 13 countries · final · computed 2026-10-18T07:17:00Z

Map: https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/middle-east.svg · Card: https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/middle-east.png · JSON: https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/middle-east.json · Page: https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/middle-east

> Map of Middle East of news coverage on the week of 21–27 September 2026, shaded by publisher country; most from Israel and Egypt. Top stories: “Netanyahu's secret trip to Abu Dhabi to meet…”; “Israel revokes credentials of Dutch…”.

## Top stories

1. [Netanyahu's secret trip to Abu Dhabi to meet UAE President](https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/433733) — israelnationalnews.com, 6 outlets, 6 reports
   Channel 12 reports Netanyahu secretly flew to Abu Dhabi for talks with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed; the Prime Minister's Office has not commented.
2. [Israel revokes credentials of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah over West Bank trade ban](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-revokes-credentials-dutch-diplomats-ramallah-over-west-bank-trade-ban) — middleeasteye.net, 6 outlets, 6 reports
   Israel revokes credentials of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah over West Bank trade ban Submitted by Bilge Kotan on Sun, 09/27/2026 - 19:19 The move follows the Netherlands’ decision to ban goods from Israeli settlements to…
3. [5 Arrested For Terrorist Activity Near UK Airbase Used By US In Iran War](https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/5-arrested-for-terrorist-activity-near-uk-airbase-used-by-us-in-iran-war-12105850) — feedburner.com, 5 outlets, 5 reports
   London's Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorism activities, said in a statement that police received a call at 12:45 a.m. related to three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling…
4. [Houthi rebels blame Saudi Arabia for strikes against Taiz market that killed seven, left 40 wounded](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-909875) — jpost.com, 4 outlets, 5 reports (original: Houthis blame Saudi Arabia for strikes against Taiz market that killed seven, left 40 wounded)
   The attack, allegedly carried out by an F-15 squadron from Saudi Arabia, left 50 casualties between wounded and killed, the Houthis claimed.
5. [OpenAI halts training after AI model bypasses restrictions](https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/433684) — israelnationalnews.com, 4 outlets, 4 reports
   AI agent reportedly bypasses internet restrictions during OpenAI training run, prompting company to suspend some advanced model training.
6. [Iran ‘fully prepared’ for war to resume with US but still trying diplomacy: Araghchi](https://presstv.co.uk/Detail/2026/09/27/777141/Iran-fully-prepared-war-resume-US-still-pursuing-diplomacy-Araghchi-NBC-News-) — presstv.ir, 4 outlets, 4 reports
   Iran stands firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News.
7. [Israel's Smotrich calls for war in West Bank and dismantling of Palestinian Authority](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/27/israels-smotrich-calls-for-war-in-west-bank-and-dismantling-of-palestinian-authority) — thenationalnews.com, 4 outlets, 4 reports
   Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Israel to “go to war” in the occupied West Bank , dismantle the Palestinian Authority and carry out military operations there similar to those in Gaza.…
8. [Riyadh schools to operate remotely for week, AFP reports](https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/parents-told-riyadh-schools-operate-remotely-week-afp-reports) — middleeasteye.net, 4 outlets, 4 reports
   Riyadh schools to operate remotely for week, AFP reports Parents across Riyadh received emails from schools on Sunday announcing a last-minute plan to shift to remote learning for a week, according to messages seen by…
9. [Giant Pandas, Icons of China’s Soft Diplomacy, Arrive in Atlanta](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/us/panda-zoo-atlanta-china-xi.html) — nytimes.com, 3 outlets, 4 reports
   A male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang landed on Sunday, days after China’s leader said he would dispatch “envoys of friendship” to the United States.
10. [China Conducts Maneuvers Around Disputed Island with the Philippines](https://www.nile.eg/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%AC%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%B9-%D8%B9%D9%84-2) — nile.eg, 3 outlets, 4 reports (original: قناة النيل للأخبار | الصين تجرى مناورات حول جزيرة متنازع عليها مع الفلبين)

## Reports by publisher country

| Country | Code | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---:|---:|
| Israel | IL | 1,124 | 26.9% |
| Egypt | EG | 734 | 17.6% |
| United Arab Emirates | AE | 674 | 16.1% |
| Iran | IR | 444 | 10.6% |
| Palestine | PS | 420 | 10.1% |
| Kuwait | KW | 215 | 5.1% |
| Lebanon | LB | 206 | 4.9% |
| Qatar | QA | 152 | 3.6% |
| Saudi Arabia | SA | 53 | 1.3% |
| Jordan | JO | 46 | 1.1% |
| Oman | OM | 44 | 1.1% |
| Syria | SY | 38 | 0.9% |
| Yemen | YE | 26 | 0.6% |

## About this map

Hottub News counted 4,176 reports from outlets in 13 countries for the week of 21–27 September 2026. Israel, Egypt and the UAE published the most (1,124 reports), and the five busiest countries account for 81% of the total.

The most widely covered stories were: “Netanyahu's secret trip to Abu Dhabi to meet UAE President” (6 outlets, mostly Israel); “Israel revokes credentials of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah over West Bank trade ban” (6 outlets, mostly Israel and Qatar); “5 Arrested For Terrorist Activity Near UK Airbase Used By US In Iran War” (5 outlets, mostly the UAE and Iran).

Each report is placed in the country of the outlet that published it (from its feed, web domain or Wikidata), not where the events happened. Stories group reports of the same event across outlets and languages; for a week or month, a story's outlet count is its biggest day's. Paid placements are never included.

Previous: https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w38/middle-east · Next: https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w40/middle-east · Other regions: https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39, https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/africa, https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/asia, https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/europe, https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/north-america, https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/latin-america, https://hottub.news/maps/2026-w39/oceania