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While there is a broad range of Arabic language media outlets reporting stories from and about the Middle East, there is currently no affordable and reliable means for English speakers to gain access to this content. As a result, many English speaking businesspersons, students, journalists and others who have an interest in the affairs of the region are largely unaware of what the Middle East media is covering and how they are covering these stories.

Mideastwire.com aims to close this gap by offering a daily menu of translations covering some of the key political, cultural, economic and opinion pieces appearing in the media of the 22 Arab countries and the Arab Diaspora. Through this effort, we hope to address at least one aspect of a global disconnect that continues to threaten a wide spectrum of socio-political and economic relationships, both here in the region and beyond.

It is also important to note that, since our founding in 2005, Mideastwire.com is wholly funded by the content license fees paid by individuals and organizations. As such, there is no government, commercial or non-profit support, an aspect that we believe provides a relatively independent platform for better understanding.

Our Corrections Policy: We adhere to an honest and open corrections policy. Please email info@mideastwire.com if you notice any typo or if you disagree with our translation choices. Since we do not produce our own content, we only will consider corrections that highlight typos or dispute our translations, not the veracity or accuracy of the original content. Accepted corrections are applied directly to the relevant translations as soon as they are approved by the editor and our database is updated accordingly for all subscribers.

TODAY’S DAILY BRIEFING

17-Apr-2024

Iran

Politics

“What is going on backstage between Washington and Tehran?” – Part 1/2 (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - USA Europe

On April 17, Ibrahim Rihan wrote the following report on the privately-owned Asas Media website: “…An official American source revealed to Asas that Biden informed Netanyahu that his country will not take part in any attack against Iran and that he personally disagrees that Israel retaliates to Iran without full coordination on all levels with the US administration. Netanyahu understood the American message, which pushed him to say that Tel Aviv was planning to retaliate “wisely…” According to the source, Tel Aviv is looking into several options to respond to Tehran without proceeding to a full-fledged war… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Political stubbornness severs reconciliation bridges between the two main parties in Iraq’s Kurdistan” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On April 17, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “The file of the parliamentary elections planned to take place in Iraq’s Kurdistan by next June is not the only subject of differences between the two main parties in the Territory, i.e. the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by the Barzani family, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan led by the heirs of the former Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani. However, this file is the drop that caused the glass to overflow in light of the many differences between the two parties… (Read More)

“Massive military deal, no imminent date for withdrawal of US troops…” (Al-Mada, Iraq)

Military and Security - USA Europe

On April 16, the independent Al-Mada newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Tamim al-Hassan: “So far, Baghdad has not been given a date for the withdrawal of the American forces and was unable to lift the sanctions imposed on the banned Iraqi banks. However, it will pay the United States $550 million in exchange for “military services.” In the meantime, the Iraqi factions remained silent after they had threatened escalation if the troops did not leave or if the word “occupation” was replaced with “sustained partnership”… As-Sudani arrived in Washington on Saturday on his first visit to the United States. The visit will last till Thursday, noting that the government’s delegation included 60 figures, mostly advisors, in addition to 60 others from the consultation committees, in addition to journalists and the plane crew… (Read More)

Israel

Opinion

“The upcoming Israeli attack on Iran” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security - USA Europe

On April 17, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following opinion piece by Lebanese writer Gilbert al-Ashkar: “There is no doubt that Israel will respond to Iran’s launching of 320 drones and missiles on its territories… for several reasons, the first of which is that the Zionist state intentionally escalated its attack on the “Islamic Republic” by bombing the Iranian consulate, which is adjacent to Iran’s embassy in Damascus… As a result, Iran launched 170 unmanned drones and 30 missiles from its territories, i.e. from 1,500 kilometers away, while knowing that crossing that distance would take a few hours, thus allowing Israel to prepare for their arrival and down a large portion of them before they even enter its airspace, especially since it enjoys the support of its allies, at the head of which is the United States… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

“Jordan’s fate, not Gaza’s, is at stake” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security - Monarchies/Dictatorships - Unrest

On April 17, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “The statement by the Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah II, where he stressed on Tuesday that Jordan’s security and sovereignty rise above any other consideration, carried a clear sign to the existence of serious concerns regarding Jordan’s fate if an open war were to take place between Iran and Israel, especially since part of this war will happen on the Jordanian lands in light of accusations that the Kingdom is standing in the opposite line to what Iran calls the “Resistance Axis,” which is raising the threat against the Kingdom’s national security… (Read More)

“Jordan’s obstruction of attack on Israel…, rejection of transformation into “Iranian arena”” (Agencies, Middle East)

Military and Security - Monarchies/Dictatorships - USA Europe

On April 16 the Arabic page of France Presse News Agency carried the following report from Amman: “By intercepting drones and missiles coming from Iran and heading toward Israel on Saturday, Jordan was sending a message saying it rejected the expansion of the conflicts to its soil, and that it was not “an Iranian arena,” as per experts… For his part, during a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Sunday, Jordanian Monarch Abdullah II assured that his country “will not be the stage of a regional war.” As for former Jordanian Information Minister Samih al-Maaytah, he told France Presse: “Jordan has nothing to do with the conflict of influence between the Persian project and the Zionist project. It does not wish to be a party in a regional conflict…, just as it does not want to see its soil or airspace used in any military action against whichever state in the region… (Read More)

“Jordan thwarts relentless Iranian efforts to target its security” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Military and Security - Monarchies/Dictatorships

On April 16, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following report from Amman by its correspondent Mohammad ar-Rawashdeh: “… Identical Jordanian sources confirmed the existence of “critical information surrounding relentless Iranian efforts to target the Kingdom’s security” during the last few months, efforts that were thwarted and kept a secret to avoid further tension and turmoil in the relations between the two countries. The targeting plans were supposed to be carried out by the Iranian militias and the Lebanese Hezbollah, which are active along the Jordanian-Syrian border (370 kilometers long) to smuggle drugs and weapons. Jordan is aware of Tehran’s clear intention to “plant security hotspots, which it would use to harass its opponents in the region… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“The Party to Bassil: The [battle] field has the final say” (Website, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Democracy and Party Politics - Peace Process - United Nations

On April 17, the privately-owned Asas Media website carried the following report: “The message by MP Gibran Bassil to the member states of the Security Council was not met with any public response on the part of Hezbollah so far with respect to the call for issuing a “new UN resolution based on resolution 1701 that supports a permanent ceasefire on Lebanon’s southern borders regardless of the war in Gaza. In response to Bassil, parties close to Hezbollah are saying: “The [battle] field alone shall have the final say… (Read More)

“Lebanon is on the list of American variables after the Iranian response” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Military and Security - Peace Process

On April 17, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report by Hiyam Kosseify: “There has been an American change in keeping up with the developments in the Middle East through a strong comeback to the arena. Despite the ongoing communication calls between Washington and Tehran via the Sultanate of Oman and other players, the Americans are speaking about the terms of a new game with Iran, including Lebanon… (Read More)

Libya

Politics

“Has Dbeibeh’s government failed to merge militias following renewal of Tripoli clashes?” [Part 2-2] (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - Unrest

On April 15, the Egyptian Arabi 21 news site carried the following report from Tripoli by its correspondent Ala’a Farouk: “Ismail el-Mahaishi, a Libyan crisis management expert, said: “The divide is clear in all institutions. No one enjoys legal or constitutional legitimacy, and the term “militia” has started to apply to all the Libyan institutions. This is why the country is going through this state of turmoil, at a time when the international sides and the United Nations’ mission are watching and issuing statements as though the issue did not concern them, although the latter are responsible for all that is happening. He added to Arabi 21: “The ongoing conflict in the western part of the country revolves around influence and control over the institutions that provide funds and sovereign positions… (Read More)

Middle East

Opinion

“The full-fledged scandal: The Story of an attack that never happened” - Part two (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - USA Europe

On April 16, the privately-owned Asas Media website carried the following piece by Radwan al-Sayyed: “…Third, throughout the past few months, there have been discussions about Iran having let Hamas and the people of Palestine down, and that Iran would only fight if attacked at home, otherwise it would only use its militias including Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis. I don’t know what Hamas really thinks but I don’t personally see that they have been let down… Nevertheless, I still insist that the Iranians and Nasrallah are the ones who pushed the Islamic Jihad and Hamas toward war…Why did they do so? Was it to further pressure America and obtain compromises on the matter of the nuclear weapons and the deployment in the region? Or was it because they believed they could discipline Israel…? If they did indeed push for the war, they would have to help more although it has now turned out that they do not actually possess tremendous capabilities that can modify the balances… (Read More)

“The situation in our region: Only one of two choices” (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security - Monarchies/Dictatorships - Peace Process

On April 16, the pro-monarchy Okaz newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Hamoud Abu Taleb: “The states that wish to uphold security and peace, and are aware of the risks of the continuation and expansion of the conflicts in our region, and the escalation between its various sides, have always warned against the dire consequences of this dangerous situation in a highly critical region for global peace and security. Hence, at each turn, and whenever a new crisis emerged, the Kingdom always stressed the need to find drastic solutions to the root of the problem, all the while abiding by International Law and the UN resolutions and charters, especially regarding the central cause represented by the Palestinian issue, which has turned from an Arab-Israeli conflict into a pretext to generate regional crises… threatening the region’s security and future… (Read More)

Co-Founder: Nicholas Noe

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