Israeli-Gulf relations

A woman walks past a mural bearing the Iranian national flag

Analysis

How wartime urgency pushed Iran to court Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan

Tehran's push for a regional security order independent of Washington could be gaining diplomatic momentum, but the Islamic Republic has competing, if not conflicting, strategic priorities with the countries it hopes to engage.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Amir Levy/Getty Images

Analysis

How Netanyahu could attack Iran to force Israel into unity government after elections

While a strike against Iran before the Oct. 27 elections appears unlikely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch one immediately afterward to pressure his rivals into joining a wartime unity government.

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

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 15, 2026.

Israeli president meets FM Wang Yi as reports link China to Iran’s military buildup

Israeli President Isaac Herzog held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed topics ranging from economic and cultural cooperation to regional security.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani

Israel’s Herzog holds rare meeting with Bahraini FM in Azerbaijan

In the framework of an international summit, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with the Foreign minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani.

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In bid to win over Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu may strike Yemen before elections

A giant electoral poster for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party with the slogan "no surrender" is displayed on the facade of a building in Tel Aviv on Sept. 29, 2026

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

Mossad, Shin Bet in UAE: What we know about Israel’s FlyDubai probe

Passengers board a flydubai flight, bound for Dubai, before taking off from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on Sept. 30, 2026.

Analysis

How Netanyahu is capitalizing on MBZ meeting, FlyDubai attack to gain in election polls

Israeli Prime Minister and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to supporters at the lectern during a party campaign rally at Expo Tel Aviv on Sept. 17, 2026 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Analysis

How FlyDubai attack exposes gaps in Israel-UAE security ties

Abraham Accords signing

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

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (L) shakes hands with European High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell (R) during a Foreign Affairs Council meeting at the European Union headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, July 12, 2021.

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.

Emirati Ambassador to Israel Mohamed al-Khaja delivers a speech at the new UAE Embassy in Tel Aviv on July 14, 2021.

UAE opens embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv

The UAE ambassador to Israel called the Abraham Accords "solid" during the historic ceremony.

Israeli Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Lapid opens Israeli Embassy to UAE

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has inaugurated Israel’s embassy in Abu Dhabi, his first task in his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) greets Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid ahead of their meeting in Rome, on June 27, 2021.

Israel’s Lapid puts Iran talks on table in meeting with Blinken

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is committed to repairing ties with the US administration and opening discrete dialogue channels on the Iranian file.

MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images

Omani FM voices hope Israel's new leaders will advance Palestinian state

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi told his Israeli counterpart that the Gulf country is hopeful the new government in Israel can take "concrete steps" to establish a sovereign Palestinian state.

Amir Levy/Getty Images

New Israeli government jumps to deepen ties with Emirates, Bahrain

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid plans to travel to the United Arab Emirates June 29-30 in the first ever Israeli ministerial visit to the country.

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

New environment minister has ambitious plans for Israel

New Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg has announced some lofty goals, including raising the target for renewable energy to 40% by 2030.

New Foreign Minister Yair Lapid greeted by outgoing Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi at the Foreign Ministry, Jerusalem, June 14 2021.

Israel’s Lapid enthusiastic to take on foreign affairs portfolio

Entering his new office, newly appointed Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told Israeli diplomats that he is there by choice and not by default, and that he is eager to start working with them.

Eid al-Adha in Dubai

UAE ramps up diplomacy following Israel-Hamas conflict

'There is no worse tragedy than that of Palestine over last 100 years,' Emirati political analyst Abdulkhaleq Abdulla told Al-Monitor.

DONT USE - Gulf Pulse

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict forces Biden to put Mideast on agenda

Egyptian and Palestinian Authority leaders are back at center stage of US regional diplomacy.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP

Environmentalists call Eilat oil shipping disaster waiting to happen

Environmental groups claim that the new project to transport Gulf oil via Eilat to Europe is likely to damage the local unique coral reef.

Netanyahu in Lod

Has war on Hamas given Netanyahu a political lifeline?

Conflict with Gaza proving a political winner, so far, for the embattled Israeli prime minister; Arab states may take center stage in mediation efforts; Al-Monitor’s unmatched reporting from Gaza.