Interviews

Exclusive conversations with Al-Monitor.

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin arrives to attend a church service for former French President Jacques Chirac at the Saint-Sulpice church in Paris on September 30, 2019. - Former French President Jacques Chirac died on September 26, 2019 at the age of 86.

Former French PM says Trump has ‘immense opportunity’ in Mideast

Dominique de Villepin

Dominique de Villepin

Former French prime minister

AFP via Getty Images

Interview

EU envoy says Israel cannot condition Gaza humanitarian aid on hostage deal

EU envoy to the Middle East process Sven Koopmans said Israel cannot condition the expansion of humanitarian aid in Gaza on reaching a hostage deal with Hamas.

Sven Koopmans

Sven Koopmans

EU Special Representative for Middle East Peace Process

Saudi-UK tech hub

Interview

Saudi Arabia's giga-projects to offer 'testing ground' for British technology

Saudi startups and fintech firms are looking to tap into the United Kingdom's $1 trillion tech market.

Matt Jones

Matt Jones

Saudi British Joint Business Council Project Officer

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, Manama, Bahrain, Dec. 5, 2020.

Interview

Israel's ex-intel chief: Biden distrusts Netanyahu, Iran escalation unlikely

Former head of IDF intelligence Amos Yadlin believes Israel should take the time to estimate whether the additional sanctions announced by the US and the EU would indeed affect Iran’s decision-making on its regional aggression and nuclear program.

Amos Yadlin

Amos Yadlin

Former Head of Israeli Military Intelligence

Sudani

Interview

Iraq PM seeks to stay out of regional conflict, calls for US pressure on Israel to end Gaza war

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani says he has taken “practical measures” to prevent Iran-aligned groups from attacking US forces in Iraq.

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani

Iraq Prime Minister

Mazloum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks during an interview in the countryside outside the northwestern Syrian city of Hasakah, in the province of the same name, on Jan. 24, 2019.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander says resolve of US-led anti-ISIS coalition weakening

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, SDF chief Mazlum Kobane said the conflict in Gaza has boosted ISIS and warned that the conditions exist for a "resurgence" of the group to its former strength.

Mazlum Kobane

Mazlum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Mounir

Interview

Incoming legislation to make 'big difference' for Egypt's fintechs, MNT-Halan CEO says

Mounir Nakhla told Al-Monitor that although financial inclusion has increased in Egypt over the past few years, much of the country's population is still unbanked.

Mounir Nakhla

Mounir Nakhla

CEO of MNT-Halan

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour speaks.

Interview

Palestine to bid for full UN membership this month, says ambassador

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour spoke to Al-Monitor about Arab solidarity on Gaza, Palestine’s efforts to become a full member of the UN, reconciliation with Hamas and alleged sexual crimes on both sides of the conflict.

Riyad Mansour

Riyad Mansour

Palestine Ambassador to the UN

US Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) questions Treasury Undersecretary For Domestic Finance Nellie Liang as she testifies before the Senate Banking Committee Feb. 15, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Interview

Van Hollen: Israeli restrictions on Gaza aid 'not currently in compliance' with US policy

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he is concerned about the US getting drawn into planning of Israeli military operation in Rafah.

Chris Van Hollen

Chris Van Hollen

US Senator

Rear Adm. George M. Wikoff, commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, speaks to the crew over the 1MC aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85).

Interview

Yemen’s Houthis undeterred by strikes, senior US Navy commander says

In an exclusive interview, the US Navy’s top commander in the Middle East leveled with Al-Monitor about what the current campaign against the Houthis has achieved, saying diplomatic pressure could ultimately get the Iran-backed rebels to halt their brazen attacks on international commercial shipping.

George Wikoff

George Wikoff

Commander of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet

Salih Muslim, the diplomatic relations official for the Kurdish Movement for a Democratic Society, and the former co-chairman of the main Kurdish leftist Democratic Union Party (PYD), speaks during an interview in his office on August 2, 2018.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim warns of 'forceful response' to Iran-linked attacks

Muslim's spoke to Al-Monitor two days after an attack on an SDF training camp in Deir Ezzor by Iran-backed militias left six dead.

Salih Muslim

Salih Muslim

PYD co-chairman

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian listens to a question during a press conference with his Saudi counterpart (not pictured) in Tehran, on June 17, 2023.

Interview

Iran sent US back-channel messages on risk of wider regional war, FM says

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran is not seeking a wider regional conflict, even as his country's network of militias across the Middle East are stepping up attacks on US bases and ships.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Foreign Minister of Iran

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad makes a statement to the press on March 19, 2013 before a signing ceremony at EU headquarters in Brussels ahead of the opening of the annual coordination meeting of Palestinian aid donors.

Interview

Salam Fayyad says he is not part of Gaza ‘day after’ talks

The former Palestinian prime minister told Al-Monitor that any discussion of post-war rule in Gaza "must be based on national consensus."

Salam Fayyad

Salam Fayyad

Former Palestine Prime Minister

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