Ethnic/Religious Minorities

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.

Analysis

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

As the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts around 20% of global oil supply, experts point to opportunities and challenges facing a renewed push to develop alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A Hezbollah flag is seen in a destroyed car after an Israeli airstrike in Nabi Chit (Al-Nabi Shayth), Lebanon, on March 26, 2026. In the first week of March, the Israeli army carried out an unsuccessful nighttime commando operation there to recover the remains of Ron Arad, a pilot missing since 1986, triggering airstrikes and destruction in the area that forced residents to flee their homes. (Photo by Fabio Bucciarelli / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Displacement and dissent: Hezbollah’s war with Israel splits Lebanon’s Shiites

The renewed Israel war against Hezbollah in Lebanon has divided the Shiite community, with some still backing the group as resistance against Israel’s expansionist vision and others refusing to pay the price of foreign conflicts.

Karim Safieddine

By Karim Safieddine

In Beirut, reporting on politics

Displaced families set up tents along Beirut's waterfront in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 10, 2026, after fleeing recent Israel-Hezbollah hostilities.

Lebanon scrambles to contain tensions over displacement as Israel ups threats

Displaced Shiites are facing growing resentment from host communities in areas outside of Hezbollah’s control in Lebanon amid uncertainty over their return to southern Lebanon, where Israeli attacks and advances signal a potential ground invasion.

Rabbi Daniel Walker and King Charles III view floral tributes during a visit to Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Oct. 20, 2025, in Manchester, England.

UK, Netherlands probe Iran links to plots targeting Jewish sites: What to know

British authorities said two men had spied on the Jewish community in London for Iran, and synagogues were recently targeted in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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Analysis

Turkey cautious but unfazed by US plan to mobilize Iranian Kurds against regime

A group of Peshmergas of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) walks during military training near one of their bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on March 1, 2025.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Which 6 Kurdish groups could join the war in Iran?

A picture from the formation of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan on Feb. 22, 2026.

Amid chatter of local uprisings, eyes turn to Iran's minorities: What to know

Osama Al Maqdoni / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Syria begins prisoner exchange with Druze militia in south: What to know

Suwayda

Three princes compete for Yazidi leadership to succeed late prince

Following the appointment of a new Yazidi emir, two other Yazidi leaders announced themselves as new emirs.

Iraqi-Kurdistan

Basra church restored, but few Christians left to worship there

Basra's Virgin Mary Chaldean Church has reopened after a $228,000 renovation, but the Christians still in the city are dwindling.

rbt

Jordan's Baha'is struggle for basic civil rights

Jordan does not recognize the Baha'i faith as a religion, which has created difficulties for adherents in regard to marriage, inheritance and overall civil rights.

Israel's Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz arrives ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem September 12, 2018. Thomas Coex/Pool via Reuters - RC12A230DEA0

Is positive sentiment toward Israel on the rise in Iraq?

After an Iraqi ambassador made seemingly friendly comments about Israel, Iraqi politicians have made it known that Iraq will not stand for normalization.

Syrian Turkmen groups return from Turkey to support opposition

Turkey has encouraged Syrian Turkmen organizations to move to Syrian areas controlled by anti-regime militias.

Shin Bet warns Israelis against all Bedouins

Israel’s Bedouin community is outraged at a Shin Bet statement hinting at Bedouin involvement in terrorism.

Iraq's diversity institute combats religious stereotypes and hate speech

A new Iraqi institute aims to change the country's discourse toward minorities through educational curricula designed by religious minorities.

Nubians offered compensation for lost land

Egypt is offering compensation to 11,700 Nubian citizens who have been displaced from their land for the sake of building the Aswan Dam.

Pope Francis arrives to takes part in a conference in Naples, Italy June 21, 2019. REUTERS/Ciro de Luca - RC158DB9C340

Iraqis welcome Pope Francis' plan to visit in 2020

Following several requests made by Iraqi leaders to Pope Francis to visit Iraq, he reveals his desire to come next year.

Egypt debates customary marriage, polygamy

The Egyptian Catholic Church recently announced that it needs to further study the unified personal status law proposals, at a time when customary marriage and polygamy remain under debate for Muslims.

Israelis prefer a unity government, without the ultra-Orthodox

A recent survey revealed that most Israeli voters prefer a national unity government of the Likud and Blue and White and without the ultra-Orthodox and religious coercion.

Mosque minarets are seen next to an election campaign banners depicting Ahmad Tibi, from of the Hadash-Ta'al party in the Israeli-Arab village of Taibe, northern Israel April 3, 2019. Picture taken April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RC1D1EEB7CC0

Israeli Arab parties pass on Jewish-Arab cooperation

Israel's four Arab parties, which split into two Knesset lists before the April elections, are now discussing reunifying to contest September elections with the goal of generating more Arab votes.