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Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026.

Iran hits Gulf, threatens truce as Israel escalates in Lebanon: What to know

Iranian attacks continued in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait hours after a ceasefire between Iran and the US was announced.

Iran

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Fragile US-Iran ceasefire begins as Israel hits Beirut, Tehran hits Gulf

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'King of Iraq': Top judge Zaidan played key role in Shelly Kittleson's release

Officials say Faiq Zaidan leveraged his influence with Iran-backed militias to help secure the US journalist’s release, underscoring his outsized power in Iraq’s fractured political landscape.

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

TOPSHOT - Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before US President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

Analysis

Trump ceasefire leaves Netanyahu flustered as Iran gains politically

US President Trump’s decision on a ceasefire with the Tehran regime leaves Israel far away from its Iran war objectives.

By Ben Caspit

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

Turkey detains 11 over ISIS-linked attack on Israeli Consulate: What to know

The attack was likely designed to portray Turkey as protecting Israel by targeting the local police guarding the consulate, one observer notes.

Turkey

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Analysis

How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire?

picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Trump says US will help with traffic buildup in Strait of Hormuz

FILE PHOTO: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Trump agrees to halt war for 2 weeks if Iran reopens Hormuz

Iran

US journalist Shelly Kittleson released by Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq

Iraq

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US President Donald Trump has long taken maximalist negotiating positions

'Total victory' or TACO? Trump faces questions on Iran deal

Agence France-Presse

A vehicle burns following an Israeli strike that killed Al Jazeera journalist Mohammad Weshah, according to medics, in Gaza City April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill four, including Al Jazeera journalist, medics say

Reuters

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has targeted the LGBT community, blaming it for a declining birth rate

Turkey puts 11 on trial for LGBT 'obscenity'

Agence France-Presse

A woman walks past an anti-US and anti-Israel mural in Tehran

In Trump war on Iran, tactical wins and long-term damage to US

Agence France-Presse

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The AL-MONITOR Brief

What alternatives to Hormuz do Gulf energy producers have?

Samuel Wendel joins Adam Lucente

6 April, 8:39 PM ET

11:24

On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman

Growing number of Iranians believe war seeks to destroy their nation, not just regime, says Vali Nasr

Vali Nasr joins Amberin Zaman

2 April, 3:44 PM ET

23:41

The AL-MONITOR Brief

Syria’s Sharaa visits Germany and the UK as refugee returns, Iran war loom

Rosaleen Carroll joins Adam Lucente

1 April, 4:57 PM ET

12:40

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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

Huckabee confirms US-Israel alignment on Iran, says Hamas will disarm 'sooner or later'

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, US President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, March 25, 2025.

Interview

AI, cybersecurity high on Mideast priorities amid global tech rivalry: Tech Mahindra

A man and woman walk along a promenade overlooking the Burj al-Arab and Dubai skyline on January 4, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

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

Analysis

Stay a step ahead of your colleagues.

Analysis

Trump ceasefire leaves Netanyahu flustered as Iran gains politically

By Ben Caspit

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

Analysis

How the Iran war can help Syria manage Turkey and its regional rivals

This handout photograph provided by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) in Damascus on Dec. 22, 2025.

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

Hostage to Hormuz, can Gulf rewire future energy flows to bypass Iran’s chokepoint?

A police speed boat patrols the port as oil tankers and high speed crafts sit anchored at Muscat Anchorage near the Strait of Hormuz on March 30, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire?

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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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