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Last Updated: April 14, 2026, 4:00 pm

First round of Lebanon-Israel talks concludes in Washington: What to know

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting a “historic opportunity” to end Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.

Lebanon

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press as he departs Tel Aviv for Qatar following an official visit, at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Lod, Israel, September 16, 2025. Israel heavily bombarded Gaza City on September 16 2025, witnesses told AFP, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new offensive there and its stated goal of eradicating Hamas. (Photo by NATHAN HOWARD / POOL / AFP) (Photo by NATHAN HOWARD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

As Lebanon-Israel talks begin, can Rubio press Netanyahu into ceasefire?

"Donald Trump pressured Benjamin Netanyahu into these negotiations...Trump sees what is happening in Lebanon as a troublesome issue that prevents him from addressing the main problem with Iran," an Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor.

By Ben Caspit

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

A armed Kurdish Peshmerga of the Komala party waves the Komala flag in a ceremony held in memory of Komala Martyrs' Day in Sidakan, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on March 17, 2021.

Interview

Despite Trump’s U-turns, US may still support Iran’s Kurds, says Komala’s Mohtadi

In an exclusive interview, the Komala leader discusses US backing, Kurdish ambitions and Trump’s shifting stance.

Abdulla Mohtadi

Leader of Komala

This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Tyre shows smoke as it rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Qlaileh on April 13, 2026.

Uncertainty shrouds Lebanon-Israel talks as Israeli bombardment continues

The two countries' ambassadors are scheduled to meet at the State Department at 11:00 am Tuesday.

Lebanon

A man walks through the atrium during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies

The International Monetary Fund cut gross domestic product forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa, with the fallout from the conflict exposing stark divergences between the region’s energy exporters and importers.

Iran

Latest News

Kuwait detains American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin: What to know

Ahmed Shihab‑Eldin attend "Palestine 36" red carpet during the Doha Film Festival 2025 on November 24, 2025 in Doha, Qatar.

Kuwait

Why are Wall Street banks posting record profits amid Iran war?

Iran

Meloni suspends Italy's military cooperation agreement with Israel

Israel

Interview

Ghassan Salame says Lebanon-Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’

Ghassan Salame

Lebanese Culture Minister

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An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Lebanon, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in northern Israel, March 27, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Israel, Lebanon united in liberating Lebanon from Hezbollah, Israeli ambassador to US says

Reuters

War spurs EU plan for electricity tax cuts, faster shift from fossil fuels, draft shows

Reuters

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 14, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

UN's Guterres says highly probable Iran talks will restart

Reuters

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had tried to position herself as one of Trump's top allies in Europe

Italy shifts away from Israel, US over Mideast war

Agence France-Presse

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On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman

Lebanon’s Ghassan Salame: Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’

Ghassan Salame joins Amberin Zaman

13 April, 3:47 PM ET

33:33

Adam Lucente, Jared Szuba and Beatrice Farhat

The AL-MONITOR Brief

Israel and Lebanon to hold talks after US-Iran ceasefire: What’s next?

Beatrice Farhat, Jared Szuba, Rina Bassist joins Adam Lucente

9 April, 5:27 PM ET

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On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman

Ukraine is becoming the Gulf's new shield against Iran, says Yevgeniya Gaber

Yevgeniya Gaber joins Amberin Zaman

9 April, 4:24 PM ET

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Interviews

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Interview

Ghassan Salame says Lebanon-Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’

Ghassan Salame

Lebanese Culture Minister

Interview

Ex-Israeli security official: Netanyahu pushed US, Israel into Iran war without imminent threat

Interview

Yadlin: Israel's war goal to weaken Iran, not immediate regime change

Retired Israeli general and executive director of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies Amos Yadlin attends a session at the Manama Dialogue security conference in the Bahraini capital, on Dec. 5, 2020.

Interview

Despite Trump’s U-turns, US may still support Iran’s Kurds, says Komala’s Mohtadi

Abdulla Mohtadi

Leader of Komala

Analysis

Stay a step ahead of your colleagues.

Analysis

US blockade on Iran’s oil begins amid unclear enforcement, energy shock fears

A ship is seen off the coast of Ras al-Khaimah, the day after the failure of US-Iran peace talks on April 13, 2026. The failure of US-Iran peace talks has left the US president with several unpalatable options, as analysts say his order to blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz could further complicate his next move on April 12, 2026. Any hopes that the US vice president would emerge from the marathon day of negotiations with top Iranian officials with a deal to end a war that has rippled across the Middle

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

Egypt eyes energy breakthroughs as Iran war deepens gas crunch

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

Inside Turkey’s role in the US-Iran ceasefire

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) walks with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 1, 2022. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

As Lebanon-Israel talks begin, can Rubio press Netanyahu into ceasefire?

By Ben Caspit

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Joyce Karam, Randa Slim, Hamidreza Azizi, Hasan Alhasan

Iran War at One Month: Outlook and Implications

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sits across from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy capitalizes on Iran war to ink security deal with Saudi Arabia

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Joe Snell appears on a street wearing a black jacket; in the frame next to it, a woman with blonde hair, glasses, and a black blazer appears on a laptop screen from a Zoom meeting.

French ISIS Member Convicted of Genocide Against Yazidis

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Ezgi Akin at Turkey's Kapikoy border crossing

AL-MONITOR's Ezgi Akin at Turkey-Iran Border Crossing

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Past

AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosts food security forum with Dr. Conrad Rein

On October 16, 2025, the AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosted Dr. Conrad Rein, Secretary of the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security, alongside representatives from multilateral development banks and the private sector for a discussion on food security in the Middle East and Africa.

Washington, DC

October 16, 2025 11:00 EDT

Past

AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosts Digital Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya

On Sept. 21, 2025, the AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosted Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, for a discussion on digital inclusion and economic empowerment in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

New York, NY

September 21, 2025 17:00 EDT

Past

Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani at AL-Monitor Global Institute

AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosts Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright

On May 22, 2025, the AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosted Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq and US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in Washington DC to discuss the future of power and energy in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Washington, DC

May 22, 2025 10:30 EDT

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