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WIRED Middle East

The Strait of Hormuz Has Been Closed for 100 Days. Why Isn’t Oil Higher?
Logistics and Transportation

The Strait of Hormuz Has Been Closed for 100 Days. Why Isn’t Oil Higher?

President Trump says a secret mission moved 100 million barrels of oil through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. That number is impossible to verify.
By Carla Sertin
The US Is Requiring Foreign Influencers to Get Work Visas for the 2026 World Cup
Culture

The US Is Requiring Foreign Influencers to Get Work Visas for the 2026 World Cup

FIFA announced agreements with platforms such as TikTok and YouTube that include the participation of dozens of international influencers to generate content in the three host countries.
By Fernanda González
Gear

How To Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Middle East

104 games, three countries and one long month of sleep deprivation. Here’s your complete guide to watching it all from the Middle East.
By Megan Tomos
World Cup 2026: The Cameras, Sensors and Digital Twins Behind Every Call
Gear

World Cup 2026: The Cameras, Sensors and Digital Twins Behind Every Call

FIFA’s most advanced refereeing system yet uses AI, body scans and sensor-packed footballs to make split-second decisions.
By Ben Dowsett
SpaceX IPO Is Today. The Gulf Has Been Preparing for Years
Business

SpaceX IPO Is Today. The Gulf Has Been Preparing for Years

From Saudi Arabia to the UAE, investors have spent years building exposure to Musk’s technology ecosystem.
By Omnia Al Desoukie

The Iran War

Iran Reports Attack on Water Facilities. How Resilient Is the Gulf's Desalination System?
Water Risk

Iran Reports Attack on Water Facilities. How Resilient Is the Gulf's Desalination System?

The Gulf’s water system is built with layers of backup, but it relies on continuous operation to hold.
By Dana Alomar
Iran Says the Strait of Hormuz Is Closed. US Says Otherwise. What’s Happening?
Logistics and Transportation

Iran Says the Strait of Hormuz Is Closed. US Says Otherwise. What’s Happening?

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most sensitive pressure points in the global economy.
By Carla Sertin
Is the Iran-Israel War Over? What Does A Ceasefire Actually Mean?
Security

Is the Iran-Israel War Over? What Does A Ceasefire Actually Mean?

Most people think a ceasefire ends a war. History, law and decades of conflict suggest otherwise.
By Megan Tomos
Marine Animals in the Strait of Hormuz Don’t Get a Ceasefire
Under Pressure

Marine Animals in the Strait of Hormuz Don’t Get a Ceasefire

As ships return to the Strait of Hormuz, mines, sonar and congestion continue to reshape the Gulf beneath the surface.
By Evangeline Elsa

Business

Artificial Intelligence Sneaks Into the World Cup Thanks to Google Gemini
Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence Sneaks Into the World Cup Thanks to Google Gemini

The Argentine national team will be Google’s test bench and technological showcase during the World Cup.
By Rosa Jiménez Cano
OpenAI Confidentially Files for IPO on the Heels of SpaceX and Anthropic
Big Tech

OpenAI Confidentially Files for IPO on the Heels of SpaceX and Anthropic

The ChatGPT-maker announced it has filed paperwork to go public, just a week after rival Anthropic took the same step.
By Paresh Dave and Maxwell Zeff
Meta Silently Added Face-Recognition Code for Its Smart Glasses to Millions of Phones
Big Tech

Meta Silently Added Face-Recognition Code for Its Smart Glasses to Millions of Phones

Code reviewed by WIRED uncovered an unreleased face-recognition system embedded in Meta’s smart glasses platform. It’s designed to identify people via biometric data stored on users’ phones.
By Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron
OpenAI and Anthropic Sign Letter to Prevent AI-Developed Biological Weapons
Big Tech

OpenAI and Anthropic Sign Letter to Prevent AI-Developed Biological Weapons

Leading AI labs, executives and scientists are sending a letter to lawmakers urging them to improve tracking of synthetic DNA sequences that could be used for bioweapons.
By Emily Mullin

THE BIG STORY

Over 600,000 Syrian Refugees Have Left Lebanon. Nobody Knows the Economic Cost
Invisibile Labour

Over 600,000 Syrian Refugees Have Left Lebanon. Nobody Knows the Economic Cost

Lebanon can estimate how many refugees are leaving. It cannot accurately measure what their departure means for its economy.
By Yasmina El Zein
Meet the Accidental Editor-in-Chief of Muslim Media
Digital Deen

Meet the Accidental Editor-in-Chief of Muslim Media

By Carla Sertin
You Cannot Trust AI, Says Cisco's Global Innovation Officer
Humane Tech

You Cannot Trust AI, Says Cisco's Global Innovation Officer

By Carla Sertin
Our First Print Issue Is Here. It's About the Future, And Who Gets To Shape It
THE LAUNCH ISSUE

Our First Print Issue Is Here. It's About the Future, And Who Gets To Shape It

In the AI era, being connected is more crucial (and complicated) than ever before.
By Carla Sertin
I’ve Covered Robots for Years. This One Is Different
GETTING HANDSY

I’ve Covered Robots for Years. This One Is Different

From sorting chicken nuggets to screwing in light bulbs, Eka’s robotic claw feels like we’re approaching a ChatGPT moment for the physical world.
By Will Knight
Black Rain Fell on Tehran. Then the Real Damage Began.
SILENT DAMAGE

Black Rain Fell on Tehran. Then the Real Damage Began.

From toxic smoke and oil spills to rising emissions, poisoned soil and damaged ecosystems, war can reshape the environment long after the fighting stops.
By Chris Hamill-Stewart and Ruchi Kumar
EDITOR'S LETTER

Your Carbon Footprint Is Counted. The Military’s Is Missing.

While citizens are asked to fly less and drive electric, military emissions remain the largest unaccountable contribution to the climate crisis. That silence has a cost.
By Carla Sertin

SPECIAL EDITION

THE CONNECTION ISSUE

THE CONNECTION ISSUE

Culture

Redditors Are Using AI to Beat Obscene World Cup Ticket Prices
Culture

Redditors Are Using AI to Beat Obscene World Cup Ticket Prices

Football fans on r/WorldCup2026Tickets are using Claude to build DIY ticketing software, exchanging on back channels, and leaving scalpers scrambling.
By Alex Christian
You Survived Obsession and Escaped the Backrooms. Here’s What to Watch Next on Apple TV+
Movies and TV

You Survived Obsession and Escaped the Backrooms. Here’s What to Watch Next on Apple TV+

If Obsession and Backrooms are your new horror benchmarks, here is exactly what your watchlist needs next.
By Megan Tomos
What Happens to Your Digital Memories When The Cloud Fails?
Digital Culture

What Happens to Your Digital Memories When The Cloud Fails?

The cloud promises permanence. This exhibition explores why our digital memories may be more fragile than we think.
By Iain Akerman
Microdramas Are the Attention Economy's New TV Format
Attention Economy

Microdramas Are the Attention Economy's New TV Format

Vertical. Serialised. Wildly addictive. Microdramas are rewriting the source code of entertainment in China and the US – and the Middle East is up next.
By Megan Tomos

Science

One in Four 2026 World Cup Matches To Be Played in Dangerous Temperatures
Science

One in Four 2026 World Cup Matches To Be Played in Dangerous Temperatures

The 2026 World Cup host stadiums with the highest risk of generating severe thermal stress are Arlington and Houston, both in the United States, as well as BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico.
China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Centre
Science

China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Centre

With an initial capacity of 24 megawatts, the innovative data centre uses seawater as a natural cooling system.
By Fernanda González
The Supplements the Gulf Actually Needs Aren’t the Ones Going Viral
Health

The Supplements the Gulf Actually Needs Aren’t the Ones Going Viral

“The longevity supplement market is running about 10 years ahead of the science,” say the experts. So what, if anything, actually works?
By Megan Tomos
Whey Protein Is Running Out. But Do You Really Need That Much?
Health

Whey Protein Is Running Out. But Do You Really Need That Much?

The world’s obsession with whey is reaching a tipping point, but experts say the science is more nuanced than the labels.
By Rand Al-Hadethi

Security

YouTube Appears To Be Making Money off of Sanctioned Iranians’ Accounts
Security

YouTube Appears To Be Making Money off of Sanctioned Iranians’ Accounts

New research suggests that dozens of monetised YouTube channels are run by people and organisations that the US government has sanctioned for their ties to Tehran.
By David Gilbert
Football Fans, You’re Being Watched
Security

Football Fans, You’re Being Watched

From anti-drone tech to face recognition, 2026 World Cup stadiums in the US, Canada and Mexico are subjecting fans to an array of surveillance tech. Here’s what you need to know.
By Vas Panagiotopoulos
The 2026 World Cup Is Being Decided at Passport Control, Not on the Pitch
Security News

The 2026 World Cup Is Being Decided at Passport Control, Not on the Pitch

Trump’s United States is playing dirty at the World Cup, even before the whistle blows. Here’s what happened to citizens of Iran, Iraq and Somalia.
By Elena Betti
Sudan's Journalists Are Reporting On A War They Can't Access
Security News

Sudan's Journalists Are Reporting On A War They Can't Access

As access collapses, journalists turn to encrypted networks, satellite imagery and citizen reporting to document the war.
By Adam Makary

Gear

This World Cup, You Can Watch the Game From a Ref’s Point of View
Gear

This World Cup, You Can Watch the Game From a Ref’s Point of View

Referees for the 2026 World Cup will be wearing cameras positioned at their temples, allowing TV audiences to see a live view of the pitch from a vantage point they never have before.
By Ben Dowsett
Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2026
Gear News

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2026

Updates include a new souped-up Siri, lots of iOS enhancements and some inkling on how an AI partnership with Google has come to power Apple’s products.
By Boone Ashworth
I Spent a Week Recording Myself Doing Chores for Money. Who’s the Robot Now?
Gear

I Spent a Week Recording Myself Doing Chores for Money. Who’s the Robot Now?

Cooking. Doing laundry. Tidying up. All your household tasks can be turned into data to train future humanoids – if you’re prepared for the consequences.
By Reece Rogers
WIRED’s Eid Al Adha Gift Guide 2026 for the Chronically Online
Gear

WIRED’s Eid Al Adha Gift Guide 2026 for the Chronically Online

From AI chessboards to nostalgic minicameras, the smartest Eid Al Adha gifts for life online and off.
By Megan Tomos