Gulf

1. Muscat and consequences
2. Riyadh, Baghdad ties
3. Carlyle goes (back) to DC
4. Emirati satellites in LA

It’s definitely mall-running season.

We’re thrilled to announce that Ashley Gold is joining us on Sept. 8 as Senior Tech Correspondent, focusing on Washington’s AI debate, global tech policymaking, and everything in between. She is a veteran of Axios, Politico, The Information, and the BBC — known for her news-breaking coverage of Trump administration tech moves on all fronts. Our technology coverage will take center stage at the inaugural Silicon Valley & The World annual convening in November.

US digs in after Iran-Oman stalls

US President Donald Trump’s latest step away from military escalation in Iran comes as Washington believes talks between Iran and Oman, which had appeared to be a rare fruitful negotiation path, have stalled. Two US officials said the administration believes the Iran-Oman discussions broke down weeks ago, Semafor’s Shelby Talcott reported. Those talks had frustrated Trump by raising the prospect of a possible tolling arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz; this week he threatened for a second time to bomb Oman. The Omani embassy did not respond to a request for comment on the US view of its negotiations.

For now, the Trump administration is pivoting to a focus on economic pressure — threatening “tremendous economic consequences” for countries that do business with Iran — to try to force Tehran back to the table; new sanctions are expected to be unveiled next week. A Bloomberg columnist called the tactic “probably the least bad plan,” but added: “Needless to say, ‘least bad’ is far from ‘good’.”

Saudi renews diplomacy with Iraq

Saudi Arabia renewed an invitation for Iraq’s prime minister to visit Riyadh, as the two countries try to move past a recent exchange of fire. A planned trip by the Iraqi premier was cancelled at short notice last month, after Iran-backed militias in Iraq launched drones at Saudi energy facilities; Riyadh responded with airstrikes carried out with the US against the armed groups.

Baghdad finds itself caught in the middle of regional rivalries. It is keen to attract investment from its richer Gulf neighbors to develop its economy, but officials are understandably wary of Iranian influence on Iraqi politics. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also undermined Iraqi oil exports, though Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC has helped get some through the chokepoint.

Carlyle wants to win Washington, too

Carlyle, once DC’s most important finance firm — and a longtime friend of the Gulf — is betting again on its roots after spending years chasing its Wall Street rivals in New York. Under CEO Harvey Schwartz, the firm is courting deals including a data center project on federal land and a new defense fund, while nurturing its relationships with Washington policymakers and global officials.

Carlyle is returning to Washington just as everyone else shows up, too: JPMorgan this year launched a $1.5 trillion initiative to invest in critical infrastructure and defense. Bank of America followed with a $250 billion plan. But Carlyle thinks its history gives it an edge. “Washington is at the center of all of it, and we’re here by an accident of entrepreneurial birth,” Schwartz told Semafor. “Why wouldn’t we lean in?”

— Liz Hoffman

More private satellites

Abu Dhabi’s Orbitworks sold capacity on its planned Altair satellite constellation to French space agency CNES, securing a useful endorsement for the UAE’s most significant commercial space venture to date. The first of Orbitworks’ AI-enabled, Earth observation satellites was flown to Los Angeles this month onboard an Emirates plane, ahead of a planned launch in October. Nine others will follow over the next year; all are being built at the Orbitworks facility in Abu Dhabi.

The sale is part of the evolution of the UAE space industry, which has previously made headlines with government-funded missions to send the first Arab astronaut to the International Space Station, and the Hope probe to orbit Mars.

• Aug. 23: Palm Jumeirah Mall hosts an indoor run.
• Aug. 28: Emirati Women’s Day is marked across the UAE.
• Aug. 28-Sep. 6: ADIHEX, the hunting and equestrian exhibition, is on at ADNEC Abu Dhabi.