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Egypt

April 19, 2026

Cairo 11:57 am

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A man walks through the atrium during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies

The International Monetary Fund cut gross domestic product forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa, with the fallout from the conflict exposing stark divergences between the region’s energy exporters and importers.

Sayed Hassan/Getty Images

Analysis

Egypt eyes energy breakthroughs as Iran war deepens gas crunch

Among countries outside the Gulf conflict's direct line of fire, few have felt the shockwaves as acutely as Egypt.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A police speed boat patrols the port as oil tankers and high speed crafts sit anchored at Muscat Anchorage near the Strait of Hormuz on March 30, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Analysis

Hostage to Hormuz, can Gulf rewire future energy flows to bypass Iran’s chokepoint?

As the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts around 20% of global oil supply, experts point to opportunities and challenges facing a renewed push to develop alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal beach of Nasholim, on Aug. 29, 2022.

Israel energy minister says gas flowing to Egypt, Jordan despite shutdown reports

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Al-Monitor that despite security concerns and partial shut down of marine gas platforms, Israel continues to supply gas to Egypt, Jordan and Israeli consumers.

Latest News

Egypt closes stores early, Jordan bans AC as Iran war takes toll

Shops close early, on March 28, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt.

Analysis

Oil-rich Gulf states could face power crunch as Iran war hits energy security

A general view of South Pars gas field facilities in the southern Iranian port town of Assaluyeh, on the Gulf, Nov. 19, 2015.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

How Egypt is navigating limited options in Iran war to stay neutral

US President Donald Trump and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi clasp hands as they speak to the press before their meeting on Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Analysis

Oil crisis stokes inflation risks for Mideast as Iran war exposes importers

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics

Mohammed Magdy

In Berlin, reporting on Egyptian politics

Ayah Aman

In Cairo, reporting on politics and culture

Salwa Samir

In Giza, reporting on politics

Nada Shaker

In Cairo, reporting on culture

Female members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi with a drum and flags shout slogans as they rally at the Rabaa Adawiya square, where they are camping at, in Cairo July 11, 2013. Political infighting threatened to stall Egypt's transition plans on Thursday, as the military cracked down on Muslim Brotherhood leaders it blames for inciting a clash in Cairo in which troops shot and killed 53 protesters. Monday's violence between supporters of Mursi, Egypt's fi

Iraqi Kurdistan's Islamist Parties Condemn Egyptian Coup

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s Islamist parties consider the coup that ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi a setback for democracy.

Palestinian members of security forces loyal to Hamas stand guard on the border between Egypt and southern Gaza Strip July 5, 2013. Egyptian security forces closed the Rafah border crossing and state media said it would reopen on Saturday. Security sources said Islamist gunmen opened fire on El-Arish airport, close to the border with the Gaza Strip and Israel and at three military checkpoints. A police station in Rafah on the Gaza border was hit by rockets, wounding several soldiers. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu M

Tamarod Comes to Palestine

Hamas and Fatah are exchanging accusations over Egypt, while a Tamarod social media movement gathers steam in Palestine.

A supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi stands behind concertina wire outside the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo July 9, 2013. Egypt's interim President Adli Mansour on Tuesday named liberal economist and former finance minister Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister in a transitional government, as the authorities sought to steer the country to new parliamentary and presidential elections. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX11I1R

Muslim Brotherhood Missing From Egypt’s Road Map

Egypt’s liberals might miss the Brotherhood as the Salafist Nour Party has taken a key role in the transition.

A boy balances a poster of Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi on his bicycle during a pro-Islamist demonstration in Istanbul July 1, 2013. Pro-Islamist groups held a demonstration in Istanbul in support of Mursi on Tuesday. Egypt's armed forces handed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi a virtual ultimatum to share power on Monday, giving feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the country. The slogan on the poster reads, " We will not let you victimise him". REUTER

Turkey Has Role to Play in Egypt

Turkey could be well-positioned to assist Egypt’s democratic transition, if it can shift its role from partisan to mediator.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (2nd R) walks with Egyptian army officials before laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Cairo April 24, 2013. REUTERS/Jim Watson/Pool (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTXYY94

US Should Strive for Clarity in Egypt

The Obama administration might revisit US President Harry Truman’s approach to the Egyptian crisis of 1952.

A girl holds a poster of Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi during a pro-Islamist demonstration in Istanbul July 1, 2013. Pro-Islamist groups held a demonstration in Istanbul in support of Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi on Tuesday. Egypt's armed forces handed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi a virtual ultimatum to share power on Monday, giving feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the country. The slogan on the poster reads, " We will not let you victimise him

Post-Morsi Egypt: Gulf In, Turkey Out

Turkey held a positive image among many anti-Morsi protesters but is emerging as a loser with its diplomatic campaign to reinstate the deposed Egyptian president.

Protesters against Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood hold flags during a protest rally in front of the courthouse and the Attorney General's office, near Tahrir Square in Cairo March 8, 2013. International Women's Day falls on March 8. The flag (L) reads, "Sabrin Mohamed", a woman who died during the Egypt uprising. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3EQS7

The Egyptian Who Wants To Tell Israelis the Truth

Hiba Hamdi Abu Sayyaf, a Cairo resident, has conquered the heart of Israelis, speaking to them in their language and explaining to them the complexity of her culture and the desire for peace.

An Islamic Jihad militant stands guard during a rally marking the 25th anniversary of the movement's foundation in Gaza City October 4, 2012. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST ANNIVERSARY) - RTR38SLK

Palestinian Islamic Jihad Unfazed by Egypt Crisis

Palestinian Islamic Jihad is maintaining its approach of strict neutrality concerning regional developments including Egypt's latest crisis.

A Palestinian woman carries her daughter as she makes her way to fill a container with water from a nearby tank in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip June 20, 2013. A tiny wedge of land jammed between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean sea, the Gaza Strip is heading inexorably into a water crisis that the United Nations says could make the Palestinian enclave unliveable in just a few years. Picture taken June 20, 2013. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY ENERGY BUSINESS) - RTX11

Hamas Feigns Optimism As Gaza Limps Toward Crisis

Though Hamas downplays the effects on Gaza of the unrest in Egypt and the closure of the Rafah crossing, economists worry that conditions in the Strip are about to reach a new low.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference, part of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), at the Kremlin in Moscow, July 1, 2013. Putin said on Monday that Russia would not hand former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden over to the United States but that if Snowden wants to stay in Russia he "must stop his work aimed at harming our American partners". REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY BUSINESS) - RTX118XS

Russia Steers Conservative, Steady Course in Middle East

Unlike the United States, Russia can walk away from the Middle East at any time.

A portrait of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi is seen on barbed wire outside the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo July 8, 2013. At least 51 people were killed on Monday when demonstrators enraged by the military overthrow of Egypt's elected Islamist president said the army opened fire during morning prayers outside the Cairo barracks where Mursi is believed to be held .REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY) - RTX11GWI

Gulf States Embrace Post-Brotherhood Egypt

Gulf states are lining up to support Egypt after President Mohammed Morsi's ouster, including more than $8 billion in financial assistance, but should do more to ensure the country does not repeat the mistakes of the past.

A supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi reads the Koran at the Rabaa Adawiya square where Mursi's supporters are camping in Cairo July 9, 2013. Egypt's interim head of state has set a speedy timetable for elections to drag the Arab world's biggest country from crisis, after the military ouster of Mursi last week sparked a wave of bloody protests. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST RELIGION TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX11HD4

Egypt's Moral Test

The challenges of the second transition in Egypt will not be overcome by sheer force or security measures alone, but through prudence, restraint, a spirit of reconciliation and high moral standards.