Middle East & North Africa
“We Are Not Going To Stop”: US and Iran Go Hit-for-Hit in Proxy Drone Strikes in Syria
The last week has seen a rapid escalation in foreign intervention in Syria as a stand-off between Iran and the United States of America comes to a head.
Mada Masr Journalists Referred to Trial in Egyptian Press Crackdown
Three journalists have been brought to trial on charges of insulting (pro-government) Egyptian members of parliament.
With Pressures Rising Two Months Before Elections, Turkey's Opposition Reshuffles
Despite last month’s earthquake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that national elections will move forward as planned.
Iranian Protests Reignite as Hundreds of Schoolgirls are Hospitalized for Gas Poisoning
Tensions in Iran have skyrocketed after public outrage over the poisonings of several schoolgirls was revealed this weekend.
Judicial Reform in Israel Sparks Mass Anti-Government Protests
On Saturday night, over 150,000 people took to the streets of Tel Aviv in the largest anti-government protests yet in response to the current government’s proposed judicial overhauls.
Jordan Hosts Peace Talks with Israel and Palestine Amid Escalating Tensions
On Sunday, Feb. 26, Israeli and Palestinian delegations were hosted in Aqaba, Jordan in an attempt to curb an increase in violence in the West Bank. Representatives from Egypt and the United States were also in attendance to watch the talks.
Earthquake in Turkey and Syria Inspires Activism at NYU
Speaking at the Turkish Cultural Association’s vigil, NYU Professor Ayse Baltacioglu-Brammer said, “Your friends, your colleagues from Turkey, from Syria, they are not well.”
UN Conference on Nuclear Proliferation, WMDs in the Middle East Meets in New York
From Nov. 14 to Nov. 18, representatives of 21 nations in the Middle East met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to discuss nuclear non-proliferation and efforts to improve compliance with bans on biological and chemical weapons.
Iranian Navy Boat Attempts to Blind Two US Navy Vessels
Tensions are soaring between the United States and Iran after an Iranian patrol boat was caught attempting to blind US Navy ships.
FBI Investigating the Death of Palestinian Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh New Challenge to Israel Government
The US Justice Department has confirmed that the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank is under review by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s Visit to Korea and the Future of the Korean Political Economy
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud landed in Seoul since his last visit three years prior for his busy day in Korea.
Iranian Military Targets Kurdistan Population with Recent Attack in Iraq
Several Kurdish political parties were targeted in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region when Tehran launched rocket and drone attacks in Sulaimaniya and the region’s capital, Erbil.
Saudi Arabia and Oil: Between the US and Russia
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Riyadh has refused to condemn the Kremlin and rejected American and European demands to increase oil output despite the current energy crisis.
US Special Envoy for Yemen Returns from UAE, Saudi Arabia as War Fades From Headlines
Tim Lenderking, US Special Envoy for Yemen, returned Wednesday from a week-long trip to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia “where he met with Emirati, Saudi, Yemeni officials and…
Qatar Hosting World Cup Highlights “Sportswashing” Trend in the Middle East
The 2022 FIFA World Cup begins on Nov. 20 in the small Arab nation of Qatar.
Left Wing Loses Power in Israel with the Resurgence of Benjamin Netanyahu
In the wake of Israel’s fifth legislative election since 2019, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid conceded to Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Nov. 3.
US Treasury Department Issues Sanctions for Scheme to Export Iranian Oil Despite Hezbollah, IRGC Restrictions
On November 3, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a series of sanctions against dozens of individuals, companies, and oil tankers for their role in the export of Iranian oil to global markets, violating American sanctions against the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and Hezbollah on antiterrorism grounds (E.O. 13224).
Questions on Palestine, Food Insecurity Highlight First Arab League Meeting
The Arab League held its first summit in three years in Algeria, on Nov. 2, where economic concerns sparked by the war in Ukraine, and tensions between Israel and Palestine remained at the heart of discussions.
Egypt Taking Advantage of COP27 to Bring Attention to Regional Climate Issues
The 27th annual United Nations meeting on global climate policy, more commonly called COP27 (Conference of the Parties), will commence in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 6.
Demise of Russian Grain Deal Threatens Middle East, Africa
Earlier this week, a landmark deal to allow for the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports collapsed, magnifying a crisis of food instability in the Middle East and Africa that predated Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (and subsequent mining of the Black Sea) and has only expanded since then.