Italy's RAI apologises after latest gaffe targets Israeli bobsleigh team www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Libyans have been enjoying Ramadan with feasts and fireworks -- but soaring prices, a devalued currency and political divisions have left many with little to celebrate. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Ramadan opens in Turkey as secular-conservative divide resurfaces Ramadan began in Turkey amid a fresh flare-up of secular-conservative tensions, fueled by a controversial TV series and dueling accusations over who is politicizing religious life. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Iran scrambles to shape endgame amid growing US military pressure With the US tightening deadlines and deploying assets, Tehran is mounting a rapid diplomatic campaign while preparing for what is increasingly seen as some level of unavoidable confrontation. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Oil, gas and Iran nuclear impasse: Can business deals sway Trump’s calculus? As Iran-US nuclear talks continue, Tehran has been pushing the idea of striking business deals rather than military sites, with proposals spanning oil and gas to aviation. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Analysis-Trump pushes US toward war with Iran as advisers urge focus on economy www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Analysis-US and Iran slide towards conflict as military buildup eclipses talks www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Battered by Gaza war, Israel's tech sector in recovery mode www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW AL-Monitor Turkey: Turkish lawmakers back advancing PKK peace plan Turkey’s parliament moved closer to ending the PKK conflict, even as doubts linger over Kurdish rights and the country’s worsening democratic climate. www.al-monitor.com/newsletter/2...

NEW podcast: Is US-Iran energy cooperation possible as nuclear talks, potential strikes loom? Adam Lucente speaks to Al-Monitor’s Sam Wendel about the potential economic fallout surrounding tensions between the US and Iran: www.al-monitor.com/podcasts/us-...

Despite warnings from Israel's defense elite, Netanyahu pushes for Iran strike www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Trump says weighing strike on Iran as Tehran says draft deal coming soon www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Canada becomes latest Western country to lift Syria sanctions: What to know Like the US, Canada had strained relations with Syria during the civil war but is now showing signs of engagement. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: US court overturns Trump global tariffs: What it means for MENA Trump's defining economic policy of his second term has been dealt a key blow, upending a tariff regime that set levies in the Middle East as high as 41% for Syria. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: How did FIFA become part of Trump’s Gaza reconstruction effort? FIFA signed a deal on Thursday that marks the global soccer association's most significant postwar intervention in the Middle East yet. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Despite warnings from Israel's defense elite, Netanyahu pushes for Iran strike www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Today’s Daily Briefing: Is the US loosening safeguards on potential Saudi nuclear pact? www.al-monitor.com/newsletter/2...

NEW: Iran's FM says US didn’t demand zero enrichment in nuclear talks The top Iranian diplomat said the two sides have instead discussed “confidence-building measures" related to its nuclear program. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Norway moves some of its 60 soldiers in Middle East due to security situation www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Soccer-FIFA and Board of Peace to support Gaza reconstruction through football www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Somaliland, where Muslims love Israel www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Journalist with Germany's Deutsche Welle detained in Turkey www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Israeli Druze leader says Syrian community 'besieged' months after clashes www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

War-weary Sudanese celebrate as Ramadan returns to Khartoum www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Billions pledged, but Hamas' grip clouds Trump’s Gaza plan The Board of Peace is touting new aid and military commitments, but will they make a difference if Hamas still holds the guns in Gaza? www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: In letter, US lays out 7 demands for next Iraqi PM, with emphasis on Iran www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Tunisia jails lawmaker Ahmed Saidani for eight months for mocking president Saidani was arrested this month after he mocked the president in a Facebook post, describing him as the "supreme commander of sewage and rainwater drainage". www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Iran, Russia hold naval drills as Araghchi briefs Saudi FM on nuclear talks www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: US readies warships, jets, tankers for potential weekslong Iran war Pentagon assembles its largest Middle East strike force since 2003, adding F-35s, F-22s, tankers, electronic-warfare and command planes plus a second carrier. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: UN points to 'genocidal path' in RSF assault on Sudan’s El-Fasher A UN fact-finding mission says the scale and coordination of atrocities in Darfur mark a shift in its assessment of the paramilitary group’s campaign. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: As Hezbollah vows to defend Iran, Lebanon braces for potential spillover Lebanon once again finds itself preparing for Hezbollah’s involvement in a looming US-Iranian military confrontation. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Join us this Tues, 2/24 for a live webinar on escalating US-Iran tensions amid fears of war should nuclear negotiations fail. @joycekaram.bsky.social will moderate the discussion with @elizhagedorn.bsky.social, Holly Dagres, & Ali Hashem. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

NEW: Israel steps up Iran war preparations, keeps plans within small inner circle The Israeli military is currently on high alert for a possible US strike in Iran as the Pentagon continues its military buildup in the region, according to Israeli media. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Turkey backs Libya in legal challenge to Greece-Chevron offshore deal Ankara is engaging Libyan authorities in challenging the Greece-Chevron deal, a Turkish official said. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Airlines cancel flights amid fears of US military action in Iran: What to know Arrivals at Tehran's airport this week mainly indicated Iranian and Middle Eastern airlines were flying to the Persian country amid heightened tensions with Washington. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Trump touts pledges of troops, billions for Gaza at Board of Peace summit As the board meets for the first time, questions hang over Gaza’s ceasefire, which calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

In this week's China-Middle East newsletter, @joycekaram.bsky.social & @roscarroll.bsky.social unpack Beijing’s preferred outcome in the US-Iran standoff and how China is positioning itself in the dispute. Read more below ⬇️ www.al-monitor.com/newsletter/2...

Today's Daily Briefing: -Trump's inaugural Board of Peace meeting -ALM interview with US Amb. Mike Huckabee -US threatens sanctions over PM Maliki in Iraq -Iran, Russia hold naval drills, Iran doubles down on nuclear enrichment -US to pull all troops from Syria www.al-monitor.com/newsletter/2...

Israeli forces and Hamas committed atrocity crimes in Gaza, UN report says www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Facing US warnings, Iran defends right to nuclear enrichment www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

PKK militant group source says Turkish approval of peace roadmap is important step www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Russia urges restraint as US builds up military assets near Iran www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

UK condemns 10-year sentence for British couple in Iran www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Hamas tightens grip in Gaza as Trump pushes peace plan www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Trump kicks off his 'Board of Peace,' with eye on Gaza and beyond www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Australian police probe threatening letter to country's largest mosque ahead of Ramadan www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Russia's Lavrov warns against any new US strike on Iran www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Iran expected to submit written proposal for resolving standoff with US, senior US official says www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Hopes for nuclear deal fade as US, Iran cling to red lines President Trump is unlikely to approve a limited nuclear agreement that would invite comparisons to the 2015 deal he once scorned. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

NEW: Why Egypt has high Ramadan prices despite economic gains In today's ALM Business & Tech, @jackvdutton.bsky.social examines why Egyptians still face high prices this Ramadan and the return of int'l oil majors to Libya after years of conflict. Read on here: www.al-monitor.com/newsletter/2...