Middle East

Syria makes bid to revive hospitality industry with new Tourist Police Unit

The new unit would provide guidance to tourist attractions and assist tourists in traveling safely to designated sites and along established tourism routes.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
A riot police officer stands near residents during a ceremony marking the 11th anniversary of what participants describe as the liberation of Jericho, also known as Ariha, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, on May 28, 2026.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi delivers a televised address after assuming office, in Baghdad, Iraq May 16, 2026.

Iraq PM hosts Iranian-backed militias to push disarmament, consolidate state control

Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met Iranian-backed militias to push them to disarm and join state command, aiming to limit armed group influence while avoiding conflict.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet climbs after taking off from the former Roosevelt Roads naval base, after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 4, 2026.

Trump says US will not return to war against Iran unless American troops are killed - report

The report came just after Netanyahu told CNBC that the US and Israel would resume military action against Iran if needed

|BySHIR PERETS, CORINNE BAUM
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu give thumbs-up at the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 29, 2025.

Trump-Netanyahu call, restraint on Beirut strike signals 'Iranian victory,’ INSS researcher warns

"Hezbollah has suddenly recovered, and they have also created a split between Israel and the United States. This is a kind of enormous Iranian achievement,” INSS researcher Beni Sabti said.

|By103FM

Abu Dhabi sees leaving OPEC as a matter of national interest - opinion

The future of Emirati relations appears less tied to traditional binaries of friend and foe and more to the logic of the useful partner, the workable path.

MAY 18, 2026BySALEM ALKETBI
The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016.

CENTCOM regional cooperation stopped 6,000 drones, 1,500 ballistic missiles in Iran war - analysis

Iran targeted numerous countries in the region, including the UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq.

MAY 18, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A screengrab from a video released by CENTCOM shows a flight deck crew member signaling an F‑35 jet on an aircraft carrier, in this image obtained from social media released on February 28, 2026

Israeli Navy boards Turkish flotilla for Gaza, Trump says Iran 'dying to sign' ceasefire deal

Israelis cross border into Syria • IDF faces looming manpower gap • Source: Drone attack on nuclear plant was message for UAE • Trump admin. reoprtedly urging UAE to seize Iran's Lavan Island

MAY 18, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, gather at a port before their departure in the southern Turkish resort of Marmaris, Turkey, May 14, 2026.

Voices from the Arab press: Reading the Jeddah statement

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

MAY 17, 2026ByTHE MEDIA LINE
SAUDI CROWN PRINCE Mohammed bin Salman (R) receives Bahrain’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ahead of an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council – the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago – in Jeddah, April 28.

Cutting US aid to Israel would be a strategic disaster for America - opinion

American assistance has never been unconditional. It has given American diplomats real sway when Israeli decisions in Judea and Samaria or Gaza could ripple across the region.

MAY 17, 2026ByALIZA PILICHOWSKI
F-16 Barak from the "Valley" squadron, armed with JDAM bombs on a five minutes alert, at Ramat David Airbase. February 02 2010.

Iran negotiations will only work under sustained maximum pressure - opinion

Iran and its proxies use negotiations to delay, deceive, and advance their strategic goals under the cover of diplomacy.

MAY 17, 2026ByYARON SCHWARTZ
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the day he addresses a special session of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations, aside of US-Iran talks in Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 2026

Ancient blood libels continue to shape modern antisemitism - opinion

Antisemitic conspiracy theories have deep historical roots and continue to resurface, driving prejudice and violence against Jews today.

MAY 17, 2026ByROZ ROTHSTEIN
The Simon of Trent blood libel: Illustration in Hartmann Schedel’s Weltchronik, 1493

The Palestinian Fatah party held elections, is a ‘new’ leadership emerging? - analysis

Fifty-nine candidates competed for 18 seats on the Central Committee, while 456 members competed for 80 seats on the Revolutionary Council, which serves as the movement's parliament.

MAY 17, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attends a meeting with Russian President at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 22, 2026.

US Secretary of State approves $25.8 billion in weapons sales to Middle East allies - report

According to Bloomberg, the massive sale demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to allied countries affected by Iranian attacks during Operation Epic Fury. 

MAY 17, 2026ByTAMARA OSSANDON
Surface-to-air missile launcher of the Patriot (Wisla) system newly integrated into the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) stands at an army base in Sochaczew, Poland, December 18, 2024.

The existential choice: Next Israeli election must be about policy, not poison - opinion

As Israel heads to the 2026 elections, growing internal divisions may pose a greater threat than any external enemy.

MAY 16, 2026ByJEFFREY KAHN
AN AI-GENERATED cartoon illustration depicting Israeli political leaders in a boxing ring, ready to contest the elections. Figures representing the haredim and Israeli Arabs are on the sides, reflecting the author’s belief that they do not follow the consensus regarding support for the state.