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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.

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Today’s Snapshot

Egypt

Egypt may shift toward direct confrontation with the Houthis and Iran over Red Sea attacks that have halved Suez Canal revenues. Cairo is seeking compensation and tighter coordination with the US (Al-Arab).

Iran–US

A secret Iran–US meeting was held in a Gulf state, reportedly mediated by Russia. Trump’s letter offered economic incentives or “bitter measures” depending on Iran’s response (Al-Jarida).

Iraq

Baghdad pledged to restrict Houthi activity to cultural/media work following international pressure, seeking to avoid entanglement in Iran–US tensions (Al-Araby al-Jadeed).

Lebanon

The Lebanese Army has resisted Israeli and US pressure to raid Hezbollah arms depots north of the Litani River without a political mandate (Al-Joumhouria).
Israel escalated strikes in Beirut’s suburbs, accusing Hezbollah of coordinating with Hamas; internal Lebanese divisions over Hezbollah’s role are widening (Asas Media).
Protests in Gaza calling for Hamas to leave are echoed in Lebanon with increasing demands for Hezbollah’s disarmament (Nidaa al-Watan).
Saudi Arabia’s warm reception of PM Salam signals renewed engagement, conditional on curbing Hezbollah influence (En-Nashra).

Palestine

Hamas may shift its military operations abroad, with threats against US and Israeli interests globally (Rai al-Youm).

Syria

Turkey-Syria rapprochement deepens, potentially triggering confrontation with Israel. Ankara is helping secure post-Assad governance (Al-Quds al-Arabi).
Al-Qusayr residents celebrate Eid without Hezbollah for the first time in years after the group’s withdrawal (Asharq al-Awsat).

Yemen

Houthis are expanding ties with Al-Shabaab and ISIS in Somalia to strengthen arms networks and disrupt maritime security in the Red Sea (Al-Arab).

TODAY’S DAILY BRIEFING

02-Apr-2025

Egypt

Politics

“Has the time come for Iran to pay the price for severing the Suez Canal’s economic artery?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Monarchies/Dictatorships

On April 2, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “Egypt paid a hefty price for the operations of the Yemeni Houthi group against international navigation in the south of the Red Sea. As a result of these operations, the Suez Canal lost more than half of its revenues last year due to the disruption of navigation in this vital artery. The time has come for the group and Iran (the group’s supporter) to pay the price for the damages suffered by the canal… (Read More)

Iran

Politics

“Unofficial American-Iranian meeting in Gulf capital…” (Al-Jarida, Kuwait)

Military and Security - USA Europe

On March 30, the independent Al-Jarida newspaper carried the following report from Tehran by its correspondent Farzad Qasimi: “A high-level source in the Iranian Supreme National Security Council revealed to Al-Jarida that an unofficial American-Iranian meeting was held the day before last in the capital of a Gulf country, as a prelude for an official meeting between the two sides. According to the source, the meeting, which was first suggested by Russia, included three representatives from each side, consisting of media and academic figures. However, the source did not provide any information about the topics discussed or the results of the meeting, though he mentioned that the Iranian representatives informed Secretary-General of the Supreme Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian that the meeting was positive and that there was an American understanding of some Iranian positions… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Iraq pledges to prevent non-civilian activities of Houthi group on its soil” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security

On April 1, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Mohammed Imad: “Iraqi sources revealed to Al-Araby al-Jadeed that the Iraqi government has committed to prevent any non-civilian activities by the Yemeni Houthi group on Iraqi soil. The same sources confirmed that the government was working on limiting the Houthis’ activities in Iraq to media and cultural work. Since 2018, the Houthi group has had an office in the upscale Jadriya neighborhood in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which has come to be known as the “Representation Office.” The office is effectively managed by Abu Idris ash-Sharfi, along with other Houthi leaders residing in Iraq, including Abu Ali al-Azzi and Mohammed Abdul Azim al-Houthi… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“How is the army dealing with raid requests north of the Litani River?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security - USA Europe

On March 28, the privately-owned Al-Joumhouria daily newspaper carried the following report by Imad Marmal: “The dividing line between the south and north of the Litani River is no longer merely geographical and has also become a political line separating two opposing approaches to the issue of the Resistance’s weapons, reflecting the intense conflict over the fate of these weapons. American and Israeli pressure continues on Hezbollah and the Lebanese state to enforce the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and Resolution 1701, as interpreted by Washington and Tel Aviv. This pressure is based on the premise that its provisions encompass both the south and north of the Litani River. Meanwhile, the army and Hezbollah continue to act as if they are obligated to implement the agreement, specifically south of the river… (Read More)

“An Israeli escalation without red lines” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security

On April 2, Malak Akil wrote the following report in the privately-owned Asas Media electronic daily: “…The recent Israeli strike in the [Beirut] Southern Suburbs, which targeted Hassan Badir, Hezbollah's deputy official in charge of the Palestinian file, in the Madi neighborhood, confirmed two fundamental issues… (Read More)

“Did the Party hear the slogans chanted in Gaza…?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

On March 30, Ahmed Ayyash wrote the following piece in the privately-owned Nidaa al-Watan daily newspaper: “…For days, the Resistance axis has ignored an unprecedented development in Gaza, where hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Gazans demonstrated, calling for an end to Hamas’ presence in the Strip. The demonstrators chanted loudly, “Hamas, out, out.” Several participants in the repeated demonstrations demanded the end of Hamas’ authority in the Gaza Strip as this would lead to an end to their ordeal, which the Movement, led by Sinwar and his aides, caused in the operation carried out on October 7, 2023. The residents of Gaza dared to challenge Hamas’ authority after nearly a year and a half, telling it that enough was enough and that it must leave so that Gaza could manage its own affairs and return to life amidst the massive destruction that will not be eradicated within the time of the current generation of Gazans… (Read More)

“Noticeable Saudi reception of Nawaf Salam: What messages lie behind it?” (Website, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Monarchies/Dictatorships

On April 1, the Lebanese privately-owned En-Nashra news site carried the following exclusive report: “The quick and surprising visit of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and discussed issues of joint interest…, stole the spotlight from all other internal political affairs, including the renewed Israeli attack on Lebanon, in the heart of the southern suburb of the capital… Additionally, Salam’s visit to Saudi Arabia, which featured a noticeably warm reception that may have been unprecedented…, also stole the spotlight with its timing, following “tensions” during the last government session, from which Salam came out a “loser” with a lethal voting blow in the appointment of the Central Bank governor, due to a “dispute” between him and President of the Republic Joseph Aoun… (Read More)

Middle East

Opinion

“Laying down the weapons” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

On April 1, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Lebanese writer Samir Atallah: “The calls for peace in the Middle East are always shrouded in doubt and suspicion. And at the very least, those who call for peace and those who cooperate with those calls are accused of weakness. The reason is that all peace initiatives have not been accompanied by the military victory needed to compensate for the ongoing moral losses since 1967. Any Arab gain that does not include the Palestinian component is without a future, no matter how significant it may be, much like the October 6th crossing that led to Camp David. Hence, all peace initiatives have failed to gain meaningful momentum, and the peace process remained an elitist issue, far removed from being a public or comprehensive matter… (Read More)

Palestine

Politics

“Has Hamas made a strategic decision to shift its armed attacks to Israeli and American targets abroad…?” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - Terrorism

On March 31st, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following piece by Abdul Bari Atwan: “It appears that the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, and the leadership of its hardline military wing, present on the confrontation fronts in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in particular, have decided to transfer the attacks on Israeli embassies and interests, and perhaps American and European ones as well, to every spot in the world…… (Read More)

Syria

Opinion

“Syrian-Turkish rapprochement and facing forces that are hostile to Syrian regime” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Arab Diplomacy - Refugees - USA Europe

On April 1, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following opinion piece by Syrian writer Riad Muasses: “… When the Syrian revolution broke out, Turkey opened its doors to the Syrian refugees (around 4 million of them) and became a key part of the Syrian equation, alongside the forces allied with the ousted regime, i.e. Russia and Iran. However, unlike the latter two powers, Turkey supported the Syrian political and military opposition and engaged in battles alongside it to liberate several cities from the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF]. And though most Arab countries (except for Qatar) abandoned the Syrian people and their revolution and normalized with the ousted regime, Turkey maintained its stance towards the Syrian opposition, surprising the world by helping it topple the regime on December 8, 2024… (Read More)

Society

“Al-Qusayr celebrated Eid al-Fitr without Hezbollah” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Refugees

On March 31, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following report from Al-Qusayr in Syria by its correspondent Souad Jarrous: “Amid scenes of destruction, thousands of the inhabitants of the city of Al-Qusayr performed the Eid prayer in the square of the northern neighborhood, from which the first demonstration erupted against the Al-Assad regime in 2011. For the first time in the city’s history, the Eid prayer was held in a public square. And large numbers of people gathered in one open location for the first time in 13 years, which witnessed the destruction of 70% of their city, their displacement, and the control of the Lebanese Hezbollah and Al-Assad’s forces over it. The Al-Qusayr region, which is close to the border with Lebanon, was viewed as one of Hezbollah’s most important strongholds in Syria… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“…Houthis expanding their activities in Somalia” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security - Terrorism - USA Europe

On April 2, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “The Houthi rebels in Yemen expanded their cooperation across the borders with influential, non-state actors in Somalia, specifically the Al-Shabaab Movement, an Al-Qa’idah affiliate, and the Islamic State in Somalia, which indicates that pragmatism prevails when geopolitical objectives require so. While these groups differ in terms of ideology, ambition, and regional focus, they have a common animosity against the USA in addition to being engaged in an uneven war and relying on illegal economies. This cooperation aims to strengthen and diversify supply chains, secure access to more advanced weapons, enhance the standing of local groups, and increase the influence of the Houthis and their main regional backer, Iran, to influence maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait to serve their interests…… (Read More)

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