China, Egypt to hold first air force drill as military ties grow: What to know The exercise scheduled for mid-April comes as Egypt-China ties are growing both militarily and economically despite US pressure on Cairo. China
Analysis From Rafales to railways: Egypt walks tightrope between China, West While Chinese investments reshape Egypt’s economy, structural trade imbalances and conflicting regional interests highlight the limits of this “golden decade” of cooperation By Dale Aluf In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East
IAEA’s Grossi to visit Tehran ahead of second round of US-Iran nuclear talks The IAEA chief’s visit comes just days after nuclear talks between the US and Iran and less than a week after a senior Iranian official threatened to halt compliance with the nuclear watchdog. Iran
China courts Gulf, BRICS allies as trade war with US escalates Since US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on more than 180 countries on April 2, Beijing has stepped up engagement with Riyadh. China
Analysis As China opens to Sharaa, Uyghurs and reconstruction shadow future ties with Syria By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis China leaps into Saudi-Iran diplomacy as nuclear talks move Iranian official says next move on prisoner exchange depends on US. By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti
US will 'protect' its technology against China theft in Middle East: Leaf Barbara Leaf, top Middle East official at the State Department told Al-Monitor that the Syrian government is participating in the drug trade, and blamed Iran for the failure of the nuclear deal. Iran
In Iraq, Macron seeks bigger sphere of influence for France In less than a month, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted both Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani as Paris works to revive its influence in the region and counter China and Iran. Iraq
As sanctions bite, Iran's Raisi talks business in China The trip came at a moment of increasing international isolation, which has left Iran with fewer options than ever before in selling its lifeline oil. Iran
US general reveals Chinese balloons have flown over the Middle East A senior CENTCOM official said the high-altitude balloons have posed no threat to troops, and he expressed interest in obtaining similar ones to fill gaps in the United States' intelligence collection. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Iran intel official says China in line to buy Tehran's drones Despite growing Western alarm over the Islamic Republic's drone shipments to Russia, the Iranian official said 90 countries were "queuing up" for purchases of the same products. Iran
OPEC+ likely to maintain oil output at meeting, in gesture to US While the OPEC+ group is expected to maintain oil production at its virtual meeting set for Feb. 1, global demand for oil is estimated to reach a record high in 2023. Gulf
Senator Van Hollen says no F-16s for Turkey if Sweden, Finland not admitted to NATO The Democratic senator also discussed concerns about Israel’s new government, China’s inroads in the Gulf and more at the Al-Monitor PRO event. Turkey
Iran bolsters ties with China and Venezuela despite US sanctions Iranian oil exports to China are on the rise, and the Islamic Republic’s relations with Venezuela are moving beyond energy matters, as the South American country recently received 1,000 vehicles from the Iranian automobile firm Saipa. Iran
China hackers found to have compromised Iran entities for months A Chinese hacking group targeted multiple Iranian government bodies in 2022 using advanced malware, according to an industry report. Iran
Are China’s growing ties with Gulf states coming at Iran’s expense? Recent trade and geopolitical moves by Beijing in the Gulf leave Iran wondering about the state of their alliance. Gulf
Turkey spars with China over Uyghurs, but is it real? Turkey’s opposition and some Uyghur activists remain doubtful on how committed Ankara is to defending the rights of the Uyghurs despite its recent spat with Beijing. Turkey
