EU-Mideast ties

Illustration picture taken during the Eurosatory Defense and Security fair in Paris, France ,on June 15, 2026.

Analysis

Why Gulf defense firms are betting on Europe in wake of Iran war

In less than a week, the UAE's Edge Group has unveiled a string of major defense announcements in Europe.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

A picture taken on June 5, 2017, shows a man walking past the Qatar National Bank branch in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Gulf investment to turn inward to rebuild postwar infrastructure: QNB

Charles-Emmanuel de Beauregard, Qatar National Bank’s head of corporate and institutional banking, said that the Gulf countries will need to rebuild their logistics capabilities after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides (2nd L) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron (C) review the honor guard at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on April 23, 2026, ahead of a meeting on the sidelines of a European summit.

Explainer

Turkey slams France-Cyprus military pact as East Med rivalries deepen

Ankara says a defense deal between France and the Republic of Cyprus risks upsetting the island’s delicate balance, as defense ties among Cyprus, Greece, Israel and France deepen.

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech after receiving the Pic du Midi nomination file for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List from officials of the Occitanie region at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on June 9, 2026. (Photo by Thomas Padilla / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Macron meets Tom Barrack as France seeks larger role in Lebanon

As Israel and Lebanon move toward a ceasefire agreement, France is seeking to play a role through two initiatives: strengthening the Lebanese army and establishing a new international force.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Latest News

Analysis

Will Pashinyan’s victory in Armenia be enough to unlock peace with Turkey, Azerbaijan?

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 24, 2024.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Ireland bans hard-line Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir, Smotrich: What to know

Israeli policemen surround Israeli Minister of National Security and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir as he arrives outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Turkey maritime law prompts Greek rethink on Aegean marine parks

This photograph shows Kimom, the first of four modern French Defense and Intervention Frigate, part of Greece's major military modernization program, sailing upon its arrival in the Saronic Gulf, near Athens on Jan. 15, 2026.

With Hungary’s ICC U-turn, Israel loses a key European ally

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, (R) shakes hands with Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, during a news conference on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) speaks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as they make their way to a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on July 20, 2022.

Amid Gulf pressure, Abbas tells Macron 'Hamas will no longer rule Gaza'

Abbas has increased his anti-Hamas rhetoric in recent weeks as war rages in Gaza and a deal with Israel remains elusive, but the group has refused the call to disarm.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (C) meets with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi (L) and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Cairo on June 2, 2025.

Iran, Egypt, IAEA hold nuclear talks as Tehran mulls US proposal: What to know

Iran is engaging on multiple diplomatic fronts as it weighs a new US proposal and braces for potential censure by the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference in Jerusalem, May 21, 2025.

Analysis

As Israel faces 'avalanche' of global criticism, Netanyahu fixated on Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be oblivious to the growing diplomatic isolation Israel is facing and possible repercussions on the country’s economy.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Greece's prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during the 1st High Cooperation Council between Greece and Egypt at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece on May 7, 2025. (Photo by Dimitris Kapantais / SOOC / SOOC via AFP) (Photo by DIMITRIS KAPANTAIS/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Egypt walks tightrope between Turkey thaw and warmer Cyprus, Greece ties

Analysts believe Egypt's rapprochement with Turkey will not affect its long-standing relations with Cyprus and Greece given the mutual benefits they share.

Sara Sherif

MARTIN BERTRAND/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

Exclusive

EU could partially suspend Israel's association agreement within weeks: Sources

European diplomats told Al-Monitor that in view of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the European Commission is expected to present options to member states for pressuring Israel on the issue.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

A woman walks past an anti-US mural near the former US Embassy in Tehran, on May 11, 2025.

Analysis

As US-Iran nuclear talks hit deadlock, can Gulf consortium offer solution?

The two sides remain at odds over the central issue of uranium enrichment, blocking progress at the highest level.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

A man walks by the synagogue of Rouen, in northwestern France, on Jan. 7, 2025, following the discovery of an antisemitic graffiti.

Rise in antisemitism in US, Europe preceded Washington shooting: What to know

In the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia, the number and severity of antisemitic incidents continue to rise.

MOHAMMAD MANSOUR/AFP via Getty Images

'Unacceptable': EU slams Israel over 'warning shots' fired at diplomats in West Bank

The Israeli military expressed “regret for the inconvenience” after firing near a delegation in Jenin, but the incident could further strain ties between Israel and Europe.

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

'We were wrong': Israel misreads Trump 2.0 as storm brews with Europe

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure to end his current Gaza campaign, not only by the international community but by the Trump administration as well.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

A Palestinian girl sits amid a makeshift displacement camp set up amid building rubble in Gaza City on May 12, 2025. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 12 that the release of a US-Israeli hostage announced by Hamas would not lead to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip or the release of Palestinian detainees. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu slams France, UK, Canada for asking Israel to 'stop' Gaza war

A sharp exchange between Israel and its Western partners over Gaza policy unfolded Monday, with Netanyahu slamming calls to halt military action just as a new Israeli offensive reportedly killed more than 100 Palestinians in less than two days.

DIMITRIS KAPANTAIS/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images

On fifth Greece visit, Egypt’s Sisi and Mitsotakis advance energy projects: What to know

The new partnership agreement appears to further cement the two nations' growing ties even as migration challenges persist.

Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images

Israel warns citizens traveling to Switzerland of Eurovision protests

With the Eurovision contest set for next week, Israelis have been warned to be discreet in the streets of Basel, Switzerland.