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May 4, 2026

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Crops of wheat and barley in Terbol village on May 10, 2022, in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

Analysis

MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers

Home to many of the world's largest wheat importers, the Middle East and North Africa face acute food security risks as the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts global fertilizer flows and pushes up prices.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A young man stands in the entrance of tunnels that were used by the ISIS and the Assad's regime for fighting. Tadamon, Syria, February 7, 2025. (Photo by Raghed Waked / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by RAGHED WAKED/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria arrests Amjad Youssef, Tadamoun massacre perpetrator: What to know

Amjad Youssef appeared on video, allegedly killing dozens of civilians in 2013; he is the latest member of the Assad regime to be captured by the new Syrian government.

President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara arrives for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at UN Headquarters on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City.

Analysis

'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance

Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives ahead of a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in central London on March 31, 2026.

Syria’s Sharaa makes fourth visit to Saudi Arabia, first since Iran war: What to know

The visit comes in light of the deepening economic relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia post-Assad.

Latest News

How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance

Members of Iraq's security forces stand guard on the the al-Rabia border crossing with Syria on April 20, 2026.

EU to restore Syria cooperation pact ahead of May talks: What to know

Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP via Getty Images

Sharaa distances Syria from Iran war, says Israel talks ongoing: What to know

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish Presient Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds?

Kurdish people waving Kurdistan flags gather to celebrate Nowruz on the hill of Urkesh in the countryside of Amuda in northeastern Syria on March 18, 2026. Nowruz, meaning "new day," is an ancient festival that marks the start of spring and the new year on the vernal equinox, which usually falls on March 20 or 21. It is celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide and has been observed for over 3,000 years across regions including the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and parts of Eastern Euro

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Danny Makki

In London, reporting on Syrian politics and culture

Ali Hashem

In Doha, reporting on Iran, regional politics, conflict

Cagatay Cebe

In Istanbul, reporting on security and counterterrorism

US wins support from GCC, Asian allies for Iran nuclear deal

Israel is outlier on nuclear deal; Rafsanjani tells Al-Monitor that Iran “does not inherently have any issues with Saudi Arabia”; Zarif proposes civil nuclear cooperation with Arab states; Syrian, Iranian and Russian officials meet in Tehran; Al-Monitor’s second annual Middle East lobbying investigation and cultural heritage series.

Nuke deal won't change Iran's approach to region

In the aftermath of the JCPOA, Iran and other regional powers are seeking to engage, but will likely pursue policies to strengthen positions ahead of anticipated talks.

Turkish tanks move on a road outside the southeastern Turkish town of Silopi, near the Iraqi border, October 9, 2008. A senior Iraqi Kurdish official warned Turkey on Thursday against stationing troops inside Iraq and said such a move would not stop cross-border raids by Kurdish guerrillas. REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY) - RTX9D1P

Is Ankara headed toward all-out war with Turkey’s Kurds?

Unless a deus ex machina like the United States enters into the equation between the Turkish government and the PKK, the clashes between the sides will continue.

A hairdresser cuts the hair of a customer at Suleymansah refugee camp in Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, June 11, 2015. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

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NGO finds work for Syrian refugees in Turkey

Rizk, a nongovernmental organization affiliated with the Syrian Forum, has been able to secure jobs for many Syrian refugees in Turkey and now hopes to equip Syrians with the skills to rebuild their country when the war is over.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sit next to each other before a bilateral meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia August 5, 2015. Kerry met for a second time in three days on Wednesday with Lavrov, who has been trying to bring about a rapprochement between Syria and regional states to forge an alliance to fight Islamic State militants. REUTERS/Brendan Smialowski/Pool - RTX1N53V

US, Russia in talks for UN resolution on Syria

Secretary of State John Kerry has cautiously heralded US-Russian agreement over a potential UN resolution on Syria's chemical weapons, though the two sides' differences over investigative processes and resultant military action are daunting.

Perilous journey for Syrians fleeing to Turkey

With official border crossings between Syria and Turkey closed, smugglers have begun assisting Syrians wanting to cross into Turkey to safety and to work.

Turkey riles Kurds over bodies of dead fighters

Turkey’s refusal to allow entry to the bodies of Kurdish fighters killed in Syria and Iraq has added to already simmering tensions between Ankara and the Kurds.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem (3rd R) hold a meeting in Tehran August 5, 2015. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for talks with officials from allies Iran and Russia that are expected to focus on efforts to end the civil war in his country. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION

Iran-authored Syria plan en route to UN

Not much can be done for Syria until major Middle East players agree to put aside their differences and form a united front against the Islamic State — and Iran has a four-step plan for the next phase.

Members of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) are seen on a military truck that belonged to the Islamist rebels after capturing it near Ras al-Ain, in the province of Hasakah November 6, 2013. Redur Xelil, spokesman for the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), said Kurdish militias had seized the city of Ras al-Ain and all its surrounding villages. Syrian Kurdish fighters have captured more territory from Islamist rebels in northeastern Syria, a Kurdish militant group said on

US support of Syrian Kurds ruffles Turkey's feathers

Analysts say Ankara may have no choice but to come to terms with the emerging Kurdish reality along its border with Syria.

US, Turkey diverge on role of Kurds in Syria

Turkey reportedly targets Syrian Kurdish militias as it escalates attacks on the PKK; Egyptian journalists alarmed by proposed anti-terror law.

A Lebanese army soldier speaks to U.S. ambassador to Lebanon David Hale (2nd L) during a demonstration of TOW-II missiles, which were donated by the U.S. government to the Lebanese army, in the Taybeh range in Baalbek June 10, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Lobbying 2015: US won't let Syria drag down Lebanon

Lebanon’s central bank and its private financial firms are spending big money to prevent US pressure from unraveling one of the only sectors that still functions in the politically gridlocked nation.

Lobbying 2015: Turkey resents America’s love story with the Kurds

The United States and Turkey are finding ways to work together in Syria and Iraq despite Washington’s growing concerns with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian streak.