AL-Monitor

01/16/2026

Putin and Netanyahu discuss Iran by phone, Kremlin says

MOSCOW, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the situation in the Middle East and Iran by phone on Friday, the Kremlin said.Putin offered Netanyahu Russia's help in mediating in regards to Iran, and told the Israeli leader he was...

01/16/2026

Israel sees spike in PTSD and su***de among troops as war persists

By Emily RoseJERUSALEM, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Israel is grappling with a dramatic increase in post-traumatic stress disorder and su***de among its troops after its two-year assault on Gaza, precipitated by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.Recent reports by the Defence Ministry and b...

01/16/2026

NEW: From Egypt to Lebanon: What’s at stake for regional states on Trump’s visa ban list?

The State Department claimed that citizens from the affected countries are more likely to use social welfare services at a high rate.

01/16/2026

Libyan filmmaker fights for cinema revival

Mouayed Zabtia shoots most scenes for his latest movie in a studio he built at his Tripoli home. For the filmmaker, it is one way to overcome the obstacles he faces in a country where cinema once nearly vanished.Before a 1969 coup that brought Moamer Kadhafi to power, Libya's capital Tripoli was hom...

01/16/2026

Trump announces 'board of peace' formed for Gaza

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a Gaza "board of peace," a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory."It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, add...

01/15/2026

NEW: China breathes easier with Iran deescalation but challenges linger

Joyce Karam and Rosaleen Carroll write on Beijing's sense of relief as signs emerge of US-Iran deescalation in this week's China-Middle East newsletter. Read and sign up here:

Beijing is relieved as signs emerge of deescalation between the United States and Iran, assuaging fears of a confrontation that could have disrupted Gulf stability and China’s energy supplies.

01/15/2026

Syrian activist Sarah Mardini acquitted of migrant trafficking in Greece

A Greek court Thursday acquitted Syrian competitive swimmer and activist Sarah Mardini, whose rescue of her sister inspired a hit Netflix film, and 23 others of migrant trafficking.The verdict came almost a month after the start of their trial at a court on Le**os, ending a legal ordeal for the acti...

01/15/2026

Latest: At UNSC meeting, US says 'enough is enough' in Iran

At Thursday's United Nations Security Council meeting, requested by the United States, Ambassador Mike Waltz cited reports that thousands have died in Iran during the protests.

Tensions between the United States and Iran appeared to ease Thursday, with US personnel beginning to return to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar after a partial evacuation earlier this week. The move followed a lowering of the threat level at the base after several days of heightened risk of a direct US-I...

01/15/2026

NEW: Tehran jams Starlink as Iranians take risks to skirt internet blackout

Iranians have turned to the US internet provider to get online amid a government-imposed network blackout that began Jan. 8.

Iranians have turned to the US internet provider to get online amid a government-imposed network blackout that began Jan. 8.

01/15/2026

NEW: Why Iran regime’s potential collapse spells more risk than benefit for Turkey

Iran’s leadership faces its most serious unrest in years, and rising Kurdish mobilization makes the prospect of regime collapse particularly risky for Turkey. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/01/why-iran-regimes-potential-collapse-spells-more-risk-benefit-turkey

01/15/2026

US court overturns order releasing pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

A US appeals court overturned a ruling that led to the release of prominent pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, according to court documents filed Thursday, raising the prospect of his re-arrest.Khalil, a legal permanent resident in the United States who is married to a US citizen and has...

01/15/2026

Latest: Leavitt downplays reports Gulf states influenced Trump on Iran

In her press briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt seemed to shut down reports that Gulf states helped dissuade President Donald Trump from striking Iran.

Tensions between the United States and Iran appeared to ease Thursday, with US personnel beginning to return to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar after a partial evacuation earlier this week. The move followed a lowering of the threat level at the base after several days of heightened risk of a direct US-I...