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A man looks at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 12, 2026.

Lebanon summons Iran envoy over Hezbollah-IRGC attacks: What to know

The move comes after Hezbollah launched over 200 rockets toward Israel, just as Iran fired a barrage of missiles, triggering a violent Israeli escalation in Lebanon.

Lebanon

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Iran's new supreme leader urges 'revenge' as IRGC boats attack oil tankers

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This photo taken in Tehran shows a statement by Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei being televised on March 12, 2026. Iran's new supreme leader ordered the vital Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane to remain closed on March 12, while US President Donald Trump said stopping the Islamic republic's "evil empire" was more important than crude prices. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was reportedly injured in an air strike, has yet to appear publicly since his nomination as supreme leader, and his defiant

In first remarks, Mojtaba Khamenei vows 'revenge,' holds firm on Hormuz closure

New Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear on camera and his remarks were read by presenters on state media.

Iran

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

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

Israeli leaders are aware that Washington will decide when the war ends whether or not Israel has achieved its war aims, Yadlin told Al-Monitor.

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Oil jumps above $100 as energy crisis called worst in history: What to know

Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

Iran

US military 'not ready' to escort tankers through Hormuz Strait: energy secretary

Agence France-Presse

US strikes Iran's IRGC minelayer boats near Hormuz: What to know

MEHDI MARIZAD/FARS NEWS/AFP via Getty Images

By Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Citi, HSBC order Gulf evacuations after Iran threatens US tech, banks

People sit in a cafe outside the Apple Store in Dubai on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran

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The shadows of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin seen at their 2025 summit in Anchorage

World in 'new dark age' of abuse: UN rights expert

Agence France-Presse

In Iran, shut shops, joblessness and a dash for cash

Agence France-Presse

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said he and US President Donald Trump had discussed the Iranian team's participation at the upcoming World Cup

Trump says Iran shouldn't come to World Cup for 'own life and safety'

Agence France-Presse

The USS Gerald R. Ford was sent to the Mediterranean this week in a military build-up to put pressure on Iran

Laundry fire on giant US aircraft carrier injures two: US military

Agence France-Presse

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Syria slams Iran, edges toward Gulf and US as war rages

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The Al-Monitor Brief

How long can the Gulf protect itself from Iranian strikes?

Francesco Schiavi joins Adam Lucente

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On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman

Most Iranians would reject US deal, fearing it enables regime survival, says Hamidreza Azizi

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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

Treated as 'enemies’: Ahmad Tibi accuses Netanyahu government of indifference to Arab Israeli lives

Ahmad Tibi

Knesset member and Ta'al Party leader

Interview

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

Analysis

Stay a step ahead of your colleagues.

Analysis

Behind Mojtaba Khamenei: How IRGC steers Iran's wartime power structure

A demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, at Enghelab Square in central Tehran on March 9, 2026.

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

Oil-price hikes from Iran war threaten Turkey's rate cuts in inflation fight

By Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Analysis

Running out of time: Israel escalates Iran strikes as Trump weighs ‘elegant exit’

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot, Tehran, Iran, March 8, 2026.

By Ben Caspit

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

Analysis

As Trump says war may end soon, Iran signals longer fight

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) and special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) look on aboard Air Force One during a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026.

Joyce Karam, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Holly Dagres, and Ali Hashem

Are the US and Iran closer to war or a deal?

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Saudi Arabia's former and new investment ministers side by side

Saudi Arabia names new investment minister as Vision 2030 funding lags

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Iraqi Christian man in dark blue sweater sitting in an office

After years abroad, Iraq’s Christians weigh returning home

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Elizabeth Hagdeorn asking Rubio a question about negotiations with the Iranian government after its killing of protesters

Rubio tells Al-Monitor talks with Iran must address ballistic missiles, proxies

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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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