Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
One year on Sudan’s war: 14,700 killed, 8.6M displaced, 4.9M face starvation As the war in Sudan enters its second year, the humanitarian situation is worsening by the day with no prospects of an imminent end of the hostilities. North Africa Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
Pentagon official says 'campaign' of Iranian threats caused US Middle East surge A “campaign” of Iranian threats against US and allied forces pushed the Pentagon to send fresh troops and weapons to the Middle East last month, a top Defense Department international policy official said at an Al-Monitor breakfast today. United States
Who will benefit from Qatar’s asylum law? Although Qatari-Egyptian ties have been strained since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, Qatar’s asylum law was followed with a ministerial decision that would not only protect Egyptian fugitives, but also ease their financial burden. Qatar
Female entrepreneurs fight crisis by reviving heritage Female entrepreneurs from Iraq, Palestine and Egypt show that hardship does not always impede creativity, particularly when you build on your country's artistic heritage. Palestine
Can Russia plug through US sanctions to reconstruct Syria? Russia seeks to work around US sanctions to help reconstruct Syria, but some of Damascus' own policies may be unhelpful in this endeavor. Syria
Trump leaves Congress in dark on Mideast deployment to counter Iran The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee says Congress has yet to hear back from the Donald Trump administration on how long a fresh rotation of troops, ships and planes sent to counter Iran will remain in the Middle East. Congress
US policy faces blind spots on China, Middle East The effects of US trade policy toward China may strike a blow on global markets and possibly affect US national security. Saudi Arabia
Tempered hopes for US-Iran breakthrough as Japan’s Abe travels to Iran Though President Donald Trump has encouraged the visit, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has limited room to maneuver as he visits Iran this week to try to advance US-Iran dialogue. United States
Why interim government supports Hifter in Libya In an interview with Al-Monitor, the foreign minister of the interim Libyan government, Abdul Hadi al-Hweij, discusses what he sees as the international community’s perplexing stances toward Libyan groupings in addition to speaking about the battle for Tripoli and other developments in the Libyan arena. Libya
Lebanese mountaineer speaks up for women, children from Everest summit Joyce Azzam became the first Lebanese woman to complete the Seven Summits challenge by climbing Mount Everest, and now she's going back to clean it up and set an example for others. Lebanon
Russia, Iran in tug of war over Syria military reform Moscow and Tehran have disparate views on how the Syrian military should be reformed. Syria
Election delay fueling Algerian protesters’ fire With the postponement of presidential elections in Algeria, the political class has ignored the constitution, undermining the credibility of interim President Abdelkader Bensalah and the influence of army chief Gen. Gaid Salah. Algeria
Democrats want to tie Trump’s hands on Iran. Here are their options. Congress wants to take back its war-making authorities as tensions escalate with Iran. United States