Iran’s Khamenei optimistic on coronavirus despite rising death toll Iran’s supreme leader is hopeful that his country will soon defeat the coronavirus epidemic that has now reached all provinces, killing nearly 80 people. By Al-Monitor Staff
Breakthrough on Syria refugee crisis unlikely as EU sends emissary to Ankara European-Turkish contacts are intensifying in an effort to stave off a disastrous refugee crisis on Turkey's border with Greece that could have repercussions across Europe. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Intel: Congress tries to force Trump to declassify report on Khashoggi murder A bipartisan group of lawmakers is crying foul over the Donald Trump administration’s refusal to publicly disclose a list of every Saudi official complicit in the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Mountain couriers brave bullets along Iran-Iraq border As the economic crisis deepens in Iran, more people are risking their lives to earn money by transporting goods through the mountains of the Kurdistan region on the Iraq-Iran border. By Dana Taib Menmy
Netanyahu king of 'the second Israel' For Israel’s poor, for the deprived and those outside of the elite circles, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an authentic leader fighting their fight. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Intel: Third time’s a charm as Netanyahu scores election win After three parliamentary elections within the span of a year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue occupying his position for a further term. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Power vacuum in Iraq leads to threats from pro-Iran faction Pro-Iran factions in Iraq worry that they could lose their political sway, having failed to keep one prime minister in power, then failing in their attempt to replace him, as they recognize the next candidate could be selected from outside their political circle with the support of Kurds, Sunnis and Shiite rivals. By Hassan Al-Saeed
Saudi travel ban slams Egypt's religious tourism industry Seeking to curb the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus, Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended tourism to its holy sites to the detriment of Egypt's travel industry as the pilgrimage season approaches. By A correspondent in Egypt
Was the military funeral for Mubarak legal? Egypt honored former President Mubarak with a military funeral, sparking controversy about the legality of such a funeral given that Mubarak was stripped of all military honors after his conviction. By Khalid Hassan
Blue and White’s fatal mistake of distancing Arab voters The Blue and White party has failed in three elections, largely due to the false assumption that building bridges with the country’s Arab citizens would scare off voters from the soft right. By Afif Abu Much In Baqa al-Gharbiyye, reporting on business and tech
Russia as mediator could change Israel, Hamas game rules Hamas does not want to distance Egypt as the chief mediator between the group and Israel, but it would like to add Russia to the equation. By Shlomi Eldar
Iran rallies religious leaders to expel US forces from Iraq While US policy takes its toll on Iran, the regime is seeking to increase pressure on Washington to exit the region, and particularly Iraq, by consolidating anti-American sentiment. By Hamdi Malik
Looming coronavirus threat adds to Turkey’s economic woes Turkey’s economic recovery is facing fresh threats from the global impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which has already reached the country’s eastern neighbor Iran, coupled with war jitters from Turkey’s deepening military involvement in Syria. By Mustafa Sonmez In Istanbul, reporting on economics
Idlib operation splits Turks more than other Syria interventions Opinion polls show mixed feelings about Turkey’s declaration of a major offensive in Syria after an attack killed dozens of its soldiers. Public attention has also shifted hundreds of miles away to its borders with Europe after the government invited millions of refugees to leave. By Ayla Jean Yackley
Israeli threats escalate against Hamas Israeli officials have recently increased their threat of a wide-scale military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting the movement to take precautionary measures. By Adnan Abu Amer
Egypt bans Shiite websites to deter extremist ideologies An Egyptian court has banned Shiite websites and TV channels, under the pretext that they threaten national security, stirring controversy among Shiites in Egypt. By Menna A. Farouk