EU-Mideast ties

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

French Deputy Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo

After year away, France returns ambassador to Algeria: What to know

France and Algeria have made efforts to improve ties recently, with the strain resulting from disagreements over Western Sahara and their shared colonial past.

Two men stand next to the burned remains of a Palestinian vehicle in the Wadi al-Rakhim area of Susya village in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 1, 2026.

EU ministers agree to sanction violent West Bank settlers: What to know

European foreign ministers have agreed to sanction extremist West Bank settlers, but are still discussing the list of names.

An Iranian woman holds up an image of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iran president says he held official meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei: What to know

The president’s announcement marks the first public confirmation of a meeting between a senior official and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the start of the war.

Latest News

EU says energy costs tied to Hormuz crisis have surged past $35B

Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP via Getty Images)

Macron casts doubt on Trump’s Hormuz operation as France-US gap grows

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 18: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R), French President Emmanuel Macron (L), and European leaders at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosted President Zelensky at the White House for a bilateral meeting and an expanded meeting with European leaders to discuss a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows

This aerial photograph shows Turkey's first floating natural gas production platform, "Osman Gazi," passing through the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, on May 29, 2025.

In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know

Cadets of the Saiqa Force (Special Forces) of the self-styled Libyan National Army affiliated with eastern strongman Khalifa Hifter take part in a graduation ceremony in tribute to the force's late commander, Wanis Bukhamada, in the eastern city of Benghazi, on Jan. 20, 2022.

A protestor shouts during a gathering to commemorate Land Day on March 29, 2025 in Berlin, Germany.

Germany's plan to deport 4 residents over pro-Palestine protests 'unlawful': Lawyer

Germany appears to be following US President Donald Trump's lead in moving to deport foreign residents who participated in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza — and in using a murky legal argument to back them up.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas (C) listens to Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar (L) during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem on March 24, 2025. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli FM says indirect US-Iran talks likely, hails 'common objective' with France

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said France shares the same concerns as Israel on the Iranian nuclear plan and predicted that Washington would soon launch indirect talks with Tehran.

Civil Guard agents are pictured in an anti-terrorist operation against a Hezbollah drone manufacturing facility in this undated photo.

Spain arrests 3 suspects accused of supplying Hezbollah with drone parts

This is the second time in under a year that Spanish authorities have arrested individuals with links to Hezbollah.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism of the State of Israel Amichai Chikli delivers a speech during the symposium on fighting antisemitism on Jan. 22, 2024, in Krakow, Poland.

Far-right Europeans invited to Israel's antisemitism conference, causing boycott

Jewish communities in Europe are furious over Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli's inviting far-right European politicians to an antisemitism conference in Jerusalem.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks during a briefing on US President Donald Trump's Mideast peace plan on February 11, 2020 in New York. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told the UN Security Council that the world should reject President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, which he said would limit Palestinian sovereignty in a "Swiss cheese" deal. "We reject the Israeli-American plan," which "throws into question the legitimate rights of the Palestinians," Abbas said, brandishing a large map of

Interview

In break with Netanyahu, Olmert urges Israel to recognize Syria’s Sharaa, open dialogue

Former Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert believes Israel should recognize the legitimacy of the Syrian interim administration, telling Al-Monitor in an interview that he believes that the two countries should open dialogue.

Haifa port

Turkey blocks Israel from NATO crisis response drill amid Gaza row: What to know

The diplomatic conflict between Turkey and Israel over the Gaza war has spilled over into NATO.

A young man looks at the Bayraktar TB2 drone.

Turkey's Baykar partners with Italy’s Leonardo on drones: What to know

The joint venture could further boost Baykar’s drone fleet and comes amid improving Italy-Turkey trade ties.

A picture shows the headquarters of UAE's state oil company ADNOC in Dubai on July 27, 2022.

UAE’s ADNOC, Austria’s OMV merge businesses to create $60B plastics firm

Following the acquisition, the new firm, called Borouge Group International (BGI), will be the world’s fourth-largest polyofin company, said ADNOC and OMV.

United Arab Emirates

Voladymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, on Feb. 17, 2025.

Analysis

Amid US rift and Saudi rivalry, UAE offers Zelenskyy economic lifeline

Gulf countries find themselves in a difficult position as they navigate placating Trump, maintaining good relations with Russia, and engaging with Ukraine while also providing mediation and humanitarian aid.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Lebanese army soldiers stand on an earthen barrier constructed by Israeli forces in the town of Yaroun, Lebanon, on Feb. 2, 2025.

France says Israel-Lebanon deconfliction holding — but for how long?

The mechanism charged with controlling the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah proves efficient, say French senior officials.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (C/L) welcomes the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Italy's Meloni secures $40B in UAE investments during MBZ visit: What to know

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has secured a total of $50 billion worth of deals from her engagements with the UAE and Saudi Arabia so far this year.

United Arab Emirates

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas holds a press conference during the EU's foreign affairs council at the EU headquarters in Brussels on February 24, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP) (Photo by JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images)

EU suspends key energy, banking sanctions on Syria: What we know

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s interim government has been trying to court the international community to encourage investment and ease sanctions to allow Syria’s economy to recover.