Analysis
Since 2012, the Week in Review keeps you ahead of the curve with in-depth analysis of the trends in the region, based on Al-Monitor’s world class reporting.
The reform challenge: What Oman (and others) might learn from Egypt
Parallels in experience may offer guideposts for managing change.
![Port Sultan Qaboos, Muscat](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-06/GettyImages-1232204595.jpg?h=f15b89ee&itok=rOuSNENA)
Will Syria come up in Biden-Putin summit?
US pressing to maintain humanitarian corridors into Syria; Erdogan’s issues with US Syria policy; UN envoy refers to Syria’s "tragic irony."
![Biden, Putin](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-06/GettyImages-1233271616.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=AKaWohal)
How big can Biden administration go with aid to Gaza?
A World Bank economic strategy for the West Bank and Gaza released just before the recent Israel-Hamas exchange deserves a closer look.
![Palestinian volunteers and municipal workers clear the rubble of the Hanadi compound, recently destroyed by Israeli strikes, in Gaza City's Rimal district, on May 25, 2021.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-05/GettyImages-1233098573.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=4sYUnxls)
Israeli-Palestinian conflict forces Biden to put Mideast on agenda
Egyptian and Palestinian Authority leaders are back at center stage of US regional diplomacy.
![US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-05/GettyImages-1319129261.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=BLEPKkG5)
Has war on Hamas given Netanyahu a political lifeline?
Conflict with Gaza proving a political winner, so far, for the embattled Israeli prime minister; Arab states may take center stage in mediation efforts; Al-Monitor’s unmatched reporting from Gaza.
![Netanyahu in Lod](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-05/GettyImages-1232866970.jpg?h=f15b89ee&itok=bZLWucSn)
Erdogan’s reset with Egypt and the Gulf won’t be smooth
The Turkish president wants a change in relations, but his efforts are seen as the result of a failed regional strategy and poor ties with the Biden administration.
![Sisi Erdogan and King Salman](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-05/GettyImages-1232006505.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=OvC0XesP)
Nile Dam dispute could be heading to Security Council
With Ethiopia threatening to proceed with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s second filling, Egypt and Sudan look for a goodwill gesture and ramp up diplomacy.
![Shoukry at Security Council](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-04/GettyImages-463787636.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=IjSXZlHx)
A tale of two elections: Netanyahu, Abbas face the abyss
The Israeli prime minister and Palestinian president are both losing control of their traditional coalitions.
![Netanyahu and Gantz at Knesset swearing-in](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-04/GettyImages-1232144702.jpg?h=b2c59e98&itok=pUwtXEjo)
Surprising economic upside seen for Egypt, Morocco and Iran
Reports this month by the IMF and the US intelligence community also underscore troubling trendlines.
![Iranian pharmaceutical factory](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-04/GettyImages-1204543889.jpg?h=1d34674f&itok=hQ3A0bgB)
Syria’s agonizing decade: Crisis and stalemate
A US-Russia showdown over humanitarian border crossings stymies the UN peace process after 10 years of misery.
![idlib at 10 years of revolt](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2021-04/GettyImages-1231730280.jpg?h=f15b89ee&itok=Wr1chu9O)
Pagination
Netanyahu, regional leaders hedge on possible Trump win in November
The Israeli prime minister is under pressure to deliver on a cease-fire during his Washington visit next week; Biden can’t heal Democrat divisions over Israel and the Gaza war.
![JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2024-07/GettyImages-1230516369.jpg?h=1d34674f&itok=-Zxq4qmm)
Lebanon FM warns of 'devastating’ regional war if Israel escalates campaign against Hezbollah
In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Lebanon's top diplomat, Abdallah Bou Habib, adds that security in the south ultimately depends on a strong Lebanese army and an agreement on the border – not war.
![BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 15: Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib speaks to the media following talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on December 15, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. The two diplomats discussed mutual measures to prevent the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict from expanding to other regions, among other issues. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2024-07/GettyImages-1857491748.jpg?h=9855f42d&itok=rgoJZYYE)
US, Iran guarantors of shaky deterrence between Israel and Hezbollah
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is not ready to go to the mattresses over the killing of another senior commander on Wednesday, and Iran doesn't want a war while it favors the threat of confrontation as a deterrent.
![A portrait of Musa al-Sadr sits amid the rubble of a destroyed building in the heavily damaged, Hezbollah stronghold town of Aita al Chaab on June 29, 2024 in Aita al Chaab, Lebanon. Hezbollah and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been trading cross-border fire since the October 7 attacks, with the conflict escalating in May when the group launched a missile-carrying drone against Israel for the first time. The conflict intensified in June when Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Israeli m](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2024-07/GettyImages-2159834748.jpg?h=4296c093&itok=iuOsSvRF)
G42-Microsoft partnership in Kenya 'just the beginning,' says UAE trade minister
In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi discusses momentum in UAE trade with the US, the benefits of economic diversification and Africa’s priority in UAE trade policy.
![Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) listens to a speech by United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi (R) during the inauguration of the newly built floating solar power plant on the water that can generate 192 mega watts of peak electricity in cooperation between the Indonesian government and Masdar from the UAE, at Cirata Reservoir, West Java, on November 9, 2023. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP) (Photo by BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2024-06/GettyImages-1771551969.jpg?h=1dfc45c8&itok=YsgRPZu4)