Adam Lucente

Adam Lucente is a News and Business Correspondent for Al-Monitor. He has reported extensively on conflict, human rights and culture from Iraq, Syria, Jordan and other countries across the Middle East. On Twitter: @Adam_Lucente Email: alucente@al-monitor.com

Kuwait | Apr 22, 2024

Chipotle opens restaurant in Kuwait, its first in Middle East

The Mexican-style food chain’s entry into the Middle East comes as Western brands in the region deal with the effects of Gaza war-related boycotts.

A customer orders food at a Chipotle restaurant on April 26, 2022, in San Francisco, California.

Iran | Apr 22, 2024

Azerbaijan detains Iranian boat for alleged drug smuggling

The incident has added to tense ties between Iran and Azerbaijan, in part due to the Baku’s ties to Israel and Tehran's support to Armenia.

This image was taken in January 2016 in Hara Marine Forests (Mangrove Jungle) in Qeshm Island.

Saudi Arabia | Apr 22, 2024

9% spike in Mideast military spending driven by Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey

Military spending in the region increased by its largest percentage in a decade, in part due to the Gaza war, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

TOPSHOT - Saudi elite aerobatic flying team of the Royal Saudi Air Force Saudi Hawks performs during the aviation event 11th Athens Flying Week over Tanagra air base in Schimatari, north of Athens, on September 3, 2023. (Photo by Theophile Bloudanis / AFP) (Photo by THEOPHILE BLOUDANIS/AFP via Getty Images)

United Arab Emirates | Apr 19, 2024

What Binance's new Dubai license means for UAE cryptocurrency sector

Binance, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, has experienced some legal setbacks recently and is the latest firm to receive Dubai’s coveted VASP license.

Palestine | Apr 18, 2024

Ilhan Omar’s daughter suspended from Columbia University over Gaza protests

The suspension from the university’s sister institution was in relation to an on-campus encampment in solidarity with Gaza, Isra Hirsi said on X, and follows a House panel on antisemitism at the school.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13: U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks during a news conference calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the U.S. Capitol building on November 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. House Democrats held the news conference alongside rabbis with the activist group Jewish Voices for Peace. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Iran | Apr 18, 2024

IRGC commander says Iran may 'revise' nuclear posture if attacked by Israel

The region is bracing for a possible Israeli response to Iran’s unprecedented attack on the country.

An Iranian military truck carries a Sayad 4-B missile past a portrait of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a military parade on April 17, 2024

North Africa | Apr 17, 2024

Did Gaza protests force Algeria's first KFC restaurant to close?

Three days after opening its first branch in Algeria, KFC is facing protests over alleged support for Israel amid conflicting reports on its closure on Wednesday.

Palestine | Apr 16, 2024

Starbucks pledges $3M to World Central Kitchen for Gaza meals

The coffee giant has announced a large donation to the aid group World Central Kitchen, which lost seven of its staff members earlier this month in an Israeli airstrike.

VICTORIA VALDIVIA/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

Apr 15, 2024

What we know about stabbing of Assyrian bishop in Australia

A suspect was detained after allegedly stabbing Mar Mari Emmanuel at Christ the Good Shepherd Church west of Sydney, though the motive is not yet known.

Israel | Apr 15, 2024

Israeli military says it will respond to Iran, weighing 'variety of options'

Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday in retaliation for the suspected Israeli strike that killed senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria.