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US Vice President JD Vance (C) walks with Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir (L), and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials on April 11, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Trump says Iran deal could happen 'quickly' as Pakistan readies talks: What to know

A source familiar with the plans told Al-Monitor that the US delegation will travel to Islamabad soon.

A man walks past a screen displaying stock indices at the Dubai Financial Market stock exchange in Dubai, March 4, 2026.

Oil rises, Gulf stocks slide after Iran ship seizure throws truce into doubt

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said the US Navy fired at and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.

Iran

Members of Iraq's security forces stand guard on the the al-Rabia border crossing with Syria on April 20, 2026.

How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance

After years of closure, the reopening of al-Yaaroubiya crossing is redrawing Kurdish economic leverage and reinforcing Turkey’s regional strategy.

Syria

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Jeddah, on April 20, 2026.

MBS hosts Sudan's Burhan in Jeddah as $1.5B Saudi-backed arms deal stalls

Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan traveled to Jeddah Monday for a visit that could be aimed at salvaging a $1.5 billion Pakistani arms deal Riyadh has reportedly blocked.

Sudan

Lebanon-Israel negotiations to continue even as Iran talks stall

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also said that Lebanon will lead the negotiations and that no other party will take part, emphasizing that this track is separate from any other talks.

Lebanon

Latest News

EU to restore Syria cooperation pact ahead of May talks: What to know

Syria

Bahrain orders citizenship review as Iran war-linked crackdown escalates: What to know

Bahrain

Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

Italy’s TB3 drone deal signals turn toward Turkey amid US-NATO tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shake hands during the press conference following their meeting at Villa Doria Pamphilj, on April 29, 2025, in Rome, Italy.

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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Scam messages offering ships safe transit through Hormuz, security firm warns

Reuters

Palestinians inspect the damage after a person was hit by an Israeli strike while riding a bicycle, according to medics, in Gaza City, April 6, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ holds talks with DP World on rebuilding Gaza, FT says

Reuters

US positive on Iran deal but talks still uncertain as ceasefire end nears

Reuters

Contenders to head crisis-wracked UN face live grillings

Reuters

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Adam Lucente, Jack Dutton and Francesco Schiavi

The AL-MONITOR Brief

Is the Gulf relieved or cautious as Trump and Iran declare Strait of Hormuz “fully open”?

Jack Dutton and Francesco Schiavi joins Adam Lucente

17 April, 4:22 PM ET

24:33

The AL-MONITOR Brief

Trump declares Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, but will it last?

Rina Bassist and Beatrice Farhat joins Adam Lucente

16 April, 6:11 PM ET

11:48

On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman

Lebanon’s Ghassan Salame: Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’

Ghassan Salame joins Amberin Zaman

13 April, 3:47 PM ET

33:33

Interviews

Exclusive conversations with AL-MONITOR.

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Interview

Minister warns aid cuts to Lebanon risk empowering Hezbollah

Haneen Sayyed

Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs

Interview

Despite Trump’s U-turns, US may still support Iran’s Kurds, says Komala’s Mohtadi

A armed Kurdish Peshmerga of the Komala party waves the Komala flag in a ceremony held in memory of Komala Martyrs' Day in Sidakan, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on March 17, 2021.

Abdulla Mohtadi

Leader of Komala

Interview

Ghassan Salame says Lebanon-Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’

Ghassan Salame

Lebanese Culture Minister

Interview

UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable'

Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, United Arab Emirates

Analysis

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Analysis

As Lebanon-Israel talks loom, can Syria help in curbing Hezbollah?

Syrian soldiers stand in the snow in the country's mountainous Qalamoun region, near the border with Lebanon, during a patrol to secure the frontier and prevent smuggling operations on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP via Getty Images)

By Danny Makki

In London, reporting on Syrian politics and culture

Analysis

Italy’s TB3 drone deal signals turn toward Turkey amid US-NATO tensions

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

What is Iran really willing to concede on its nuclear program?

Iranians drive next to a billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi "Science is the power," at Enqelab Square in Tehran, on Aug. 29, 2025.

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

Pakistan’s quiet fighter jet deployment to Saudi Arabia signals Gulf anxiety

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Pakistan Air Force J-10 fighter jets over Islamabad, March 23, 2025.

Joyce Karam, Randa Slim, Hamidreza Azizi, Hasan Alhasan

Iran War at One Month: Outlook and Implications

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sits across from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy capitalizes on Iran war to ink security deal with Saudi Arabia

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Joe Snell appears on a street wearing a black jacket; in the frame next to it, a woman with blonde hair, glasses, and a black blazer appears on a laptop screen from a Zoom meeting.

French ISIS Member Convicted of Genocide Against Yazidis

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Ezgi Akin at Turkey's Kapikoy border crossing

AL-MONITOR's Ezgi Akin at Turkey-Iran Border Crossing

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Past

AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosts food security forum with Dr. Conrad Rein

On October 16, 2025, the AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosted Dr. Conrad Rein, Secretary of the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security, alongside representatives from multilateral development banks and the private sector for a discussion on food security in the Middle East and Africa.

Washington, DC

October 16, 2025 11:00 EDT

Past

AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosts Digital Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya

On Sept. 21, 2025, the AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosted Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, for a discussion on digital inclusion and economic empowerment in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

New York, NY

September 21, 2025 17:00 EDT

Past

Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani at AL-Monitor Global Institute

AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosts Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright

On May 22, 2025, the AL-MONITOR Global Institute hosted Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq and US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in Washington DC to discuss the future of power and energy in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Washington, DC

May 22, 2025 10:30 EDT

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