Biden looks to help get Jordan-Israel ties back on track King Abdullah II will be the first Arab leader to meet with US President Joe Biden on July 19. Jordan
US military presence in spotlight after Baghdad meeting The US military has no orders to withdraw from Iraq, officials say, following meeting of White House Middle East Coordinator with Iraqi Prime Minister. Iraq
Microsoft says Israeli company's malware used to hack dissidents, activists Microsoft said around half of the victims were located in the Palestinian territories, and many of the remaining targets were based in the Middle East. Israel
Facebook says Iranian hackers spied on US military personnel using fake accounts The social media company said the hackers baited targets into clicking on malicious links that would infect their devices with malware. Iran
Grand ayatollah warns against Iran's Taliban approach The rare criticism came as the Iranian establishment is accused of attempting to canonize the Taliban amid shifting regional dynamics. Iran
Iraq's Kurdistan Region detects first case of Delta variant Several Middle Eastern governments have instituted measures aimed at mitigating the spread of COVID-19 variants recently. Iraq
Syrian government shelling in Idlib kills 9, including 3 children Syria's last rebel stronghold has seen an uptick in government attacks, with at least 10 children killed in the past two weeks. Syria
Kremlin's vaccine diplomacy finds trouble in Middle East Deliveries of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine are as controversial as the vaccine itself. Russia
Hariri steps down as prime minister-designate after dispute with president Lebanon has been without a government for nearly a year as the economic crisis in the country worsens. By Al-Monitor Staff
Erdogan sacks embattled university rector after months of protests Melih Bulu, the unpopular political appointee to the top post of Turkey’s prestigious Bogazici University, has finally been fired. Turkey
Iraqi Shiite leader Sadr to sit out October election Muqtada al-Sadr also said he would withdraw his support for the current government and its replacement. Iraq
Saudi-Ethiopian relations strained by Nile dam dispute Saudia Arabia favors the downstream nations Egypt and Sudan in the yearslong Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis. Legacy: Gulf
Controversial Arab-Israeli woman appointed to Knesset security panel Labor party legislator Ibtisam Mara’ana, lambasted over allegedly supporting Palestinian assailants, was appointed this week as member of the Knesset’s prestigious foreign and security affairs committee. Israel
Iran calls US kidnapping allegations 'Hollywood-like' The US government has accused Iran of seeking to kidnap an American journalist in New York, but the Iranian Foreign Ministry called the allegations "ridiculous." Iran
Iraq takes cautious steps toward privatizing electricity sector With the increasing power cuts in Iraq, calls are mounting to expand privatization as a permanent solution. Iraq
Israel’s Lapid, Herzog out to rehabilitate Israel’s global image Newly appointed Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog are working to boost Israel's diplomatic ties following some tensions under former PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
