An Al-Monitor correspondent

Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East

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Syrian journalists in Idlib face crackdown from jihadist-affiliated government

The government affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria has decreed that journalists can’t work in their areas of control without a permit.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Syria | Oct 26, 2020

Syrian pro-regime fighters and journalists enter the courtyard of the museum of Maaret al-Numan in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on January 30, 2020. - Maaret al-Numan is nestled in a UNESCO-listed region of ancient villages and its mosaics museum had achieved international renown.
The museum, housed in an Ottoman-era caravanserai, was seriously damaged in a government barrel bomb attack in 2015. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran’s wildfires leave trail of destruction, lingering questions

Wildfires that raged for two weeks turned significant swaths of Iran’s western forests into ash as state bureaucracy dramatically slowed down an efficient response.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Iran | Jun 16, 2020

Coronavirus imposes calm on Gaza front

Calm has returned between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza, mainly because of the outbreak of the coronavirus and fears of it spreading in the besieged enclave.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Palestine | Mar 16, 2020

Rouhani leverages Sistani visit to maneuver on Iran's regional policy

Hassan Rouhani’s first state visit to Iraq as president has ushered in a series of important economic and political accords between the two countries — but his crowning achievement was his audience with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Iraq | Mar 13, 2019

Why was Turkey's intel chief in Washington?

Turkish intel chief Hakan Fidan's visit to the United States generated an uproar from the Turkish opposition. Why did Erdogan encourage this public bashing of Fidan?

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Turkey | Dec 17, 2018

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and intelligence chief Hakan Fidan are seen before a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia August 24, 2018. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS - RC1992C13F10

Truckers display new face of popular protest in Iran

The recent trucker strike in Iran was characterized by its geographical spread and focus on economic demands.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Iran | Jun 4, 2018

Pompeo appointment cements notion in Tehran that US will exit Iran deal

In Tehran, the reaction to the appointment of Pompeo as secretary of state is an increasing sense that Trump is bent on withdrawing from the nuclear deal.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | U.S. | Mar 21, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Mike Pompeo, ?Vice President Mike Pence? and Energy Secretary†Rick Perry, hosts Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a working lunch at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC12317C6820

No end to Yemen war in sight as Saudi Arabia, Iran lock horns

The war in Yemen drags on even as it continues to bleed Saudi Arabia while increasing international pressure on Iran.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Saudi Arabia | Mar 14, 2018

Saudi soldiers stand in line at an airfield where Saudi military cargo planes land to deliver aid in Marib, Yemen January 26, 2018. Picture taken January 26, 2018. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser - RC1D0C8D9D00

Afrin puts Turkish-Iranian-Russian mistrust on full display

More than anything, the situation in Afrin puts on full display the deep and lingering mistrust between Iran, Turkey and Russia.

An Al-Monitor correspondent | Syria | Feb 16, 2018

An Al-Monitor correspondent

Syrian journalists in Idlib face crackdown from jihadist-affiliated government

Iran’s wildfires leave trail of destruction, lingering questions

Coronavirus imposes calm on Gaza front

Rouhani leverages Sistani visit to maneuver on Iran's regional policy

Why was Turkey's intel chief in Washington?

Truckers display new face of popular protest in Iran

Pompeo appointment cements notion in Tehran that US will exit Iran deal

No end to Yemen war in sight as Saudi Arabia, Iran lock horns

Afrin puts Turkish-Iranian-Russian mistrust on full display

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