Meet Iran's US-sanctioned new judiciary chief Fears are growing among rights activists that the appointment of Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei may usher in a new reign of terror for Iran's already stifled civil society. By Al-Monitor Staff
US adds Turkey to list of countries using child soldiers A US State Department report called out Turkey for providing support to armed groups in Syria that use children in combat. By Al-Monitor Staff
Will high oil prices setback Gulf reforms? Push harder or take a breath on economic reforms? The question can be tricky for Gulf rulers By Sebastian Castelier In Dubai, reporting on regional business
Israel records highest daily coronavirus cases in three months The number of COVID-19 infections in Israel, which includes those of the delta variant, is still relatively low in the country. By Al-Monitor Staff
Islamic State exploits economic downturn in Iraq, Syria, US envoy says John Godfrey said the thousands of suspected Islamic State fighters held in northeast Syria constitute a security threat to the region. By Al-Monitor Staff
Turkey's virus-related curfew ends Turkey's COVID-19 cases have dropped considerably, and the percentage of people who have received a vaccine dose more than doubled in June. By Al-Monitor Staff
Etihad, El Al to offer joint flight booking The flagship airlines of Israel and the UAE agreed to establish a joint codeshare network last year after the two states' normalization agreement. By Al-Monitor Staff
Turkey's illegal renditions of Syrian nationals back in spotlight Critics say the arrest of Syrian citizens and their extradition to Turkey violates Turkish and international humanitarian law. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Erdogan’s rapprochement with Egypt comes at expense of Brotherhood Turkey's strong support for the Muslim Brotherhood has created a robust diaspora of its members in Turkey, but it is fast becoming a burden on Turkish foreign policy. By Pinar Tremblay
Syrian aid agencies brace for vote on border crossing: 'There is no Plan B' Humanitarian actors are stockpiling supplies and sounding the alarm ahead of a UN Security Council vote that could eliminate the United Nations' last remaining entry point into northwest Syria. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Iraq to enhance cooperation with NATO As Iraq aims to rebuild its security institutions, the cooperation with NATO increases. By Ali Mamouri
Diplomacy wears thin between Egypt, Ethiopia over Nile Dam The statements between Egypt and Ethiopia escalated ahead of the second stage of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, as experts warn of the repercussions of dwindling coordination between Cairo and Khartoum on the matter. By Mohamed Saied
Israel, Morocco take baby steps on diplomatic, social, economic ties Diplomatic relations are not advancing as rapidly as those with the Emirates and Bahrain, but Israel sees positive trends in ties with Morocco. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Gazans rebuild with rubble as reconstruction delayed The Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Gaza is contracting with local companies to crush rubble and turn it into construction material. By Hana Salah