Qatar began distributing millions of dollars in aid in the Gaza Strip on Monday in a fresh bid to restore calm after a flareup with Israel, a Qatari official said.

Rights groups Monday urged the international community to pressure all sides in Syria's war to reveal the fate of "tens of thousands" of people gone missing over years of conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday got more time to put together a new coalition government, after the initial 28 days granted him following last month's elections expired.

The Latest on alleged sabotage of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (all times local):

12:45 p.m.

The head of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate in a video released Sunday urged supporters to "take up weapons" to defend his group's bastion of Idlib against increased bombardment.

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday issued a stark warning of the dangers of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf, as tensions between the United States and Iran soar.

Iran on Monday called attacks on ships in the Gulf "alarming", after the UAE and Saudi Arabia said several vessels including oil tankers were damaged in acts of sabotage off the Emirati coast.

"The incidents in the Sea of Oman are alarming and regrettable," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in an English-language statement on the ministry's website, calling for a probe into the attacks and warning of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security.

Oman says it will reopen its embassy in Iraq, decades after it closed its diplomatic post.

Oman's Foreign Ministry made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday night.

Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the U.S.

Khalid al-Falih's comments came as the U.S. issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE's regional allies condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah. The announcement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city's port.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he would ask President Reuven Rivlin for more time to form a new coalition government, citing recent holidays and the Gaza flare-up.