Middle East Minute by AL-MONITOR

Pakistan and Qatar are reportedly seeking to revive US-Iran talks and an election challenger to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is gaining momentum. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Kuwait said one person was injured in a strike while Iran reported a projectile hit near the Bushehr nuclear plant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Iran said parts of the memorandum of understanding with the US are now "ineffective" as tankers turn around and oil prices rise in response to the latest fighting over the Strait of Hormuz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Two tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz overnight as US President Donald Trump is expected to back F-35 sales to Turkey at the NATO summit. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei will reach Iraq later in the week before concluding in Iran's Mashhad. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Iran is warning against new attacks on its territory ahead of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Israel may see strategic value in its latest deal with Lebanon as tensions with Iran persist. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Uncertainty surrounds the latest negotiations in Doha as Iraq moves to tackle corruption. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The announcement follows the Lebanese parliament speaker slamming the recent US-brokered deal with Israel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The negotiations will include representatives from Pakistan and Qatar, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said, as Israel engages in talks with the US on its presence in southern Lebanon ahead of a planned Washington trip by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Pressure is building on Capitol Hill for US President Donald Trump to release the text of the agreement with Iran as G7 leaders said they welcomed an end to the war. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

US President Donald Trump criticized Israel again ahead of nuclear talks with Iran this Friday.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Gulf states and energy markets welcomed the deal between the United States and Iran to end the war, while Israel made it clear it is not bound by the deal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Al-Monitor’s Rina Bassist joins host Adam Lucente to discuss whether Israel has been kept out of the loop by the United States on negotiations with Iran, and why the daylight between the US and Israel may hurt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the election. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Host Adam Lucente speaks to Rosaleen Carroll, co-author of Al-Monitor’s China-Middle East newsletter, to discuss Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to China amid signs of progress in the US-Iran talks. Listen as they   cover China’s role in the diplomacy surrounding the war, how Beijing is responding to increased pressure from the Trump administration, and the extent to...

Host Adam Lucente speaks to Al-Monitor contributor Barin Kayaoglu and Royal United Services Institute fellow Tamer Badawi about Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s prospects and challenges in forming a government. They discuss why the Trump administration accepted the consensus candidate after months of deliberations and what Zaidi brings to the position. See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

Host Adam Lucente speaks to Al-Monitor’s business correspondents, Jack Dutton and Samuel Wendel, about the energy and political disagreements that compelled the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC, and why the Gulf state's exit is a major blow to the cartel amid the chaos surrounding the US-Israel-Iran war. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art...

Al-Monitor's diplomatic correspondent, Elizabeth Hagedorn, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the state of diplomacy between Israel and Lebanon as well as Iran and the United States. They discuss why the Trump administration is pushing for an Israel-Lebanon deal, the limits to what can be achieved as Israel-Hezbollah fighting continues, and the United States' current priorities in its engagement w...

With another round of US-Iran talks being planned in Islamabad, host Adam Lucente and Al-Monitor contributor Sabena Siddiqui go over Pakistan’s growing security ties to Saudi Arabia. They discuss whether military cooperation with Pakistan could bolster Riyadh’s defenses, the potential to encompass other Gulf states and how Pakistani relations with Iran factor in, among other topics. See Privacy Po...

Host Adam Lucente speaks to Al-Monitor’s chief business correspondent, Jack Dutton, and Gulf newsletter author Francesco Schiavi about how the Gulf views Iran and the US declaring the Strait of Hormuz open. Listen as they cover why Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other states are not yet in the clear; the regional outreach to Pakistan amid its war mediation efforts; and other rel...

Al-Monitor’s Rina Bassist joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the Israeli reaction to US President Donald Trump declaring a ceasefire in Lebanon, including the domestic political backlash over the announcement. The podcast also features Al-Monitor’s Beirut correspondent, Beatrice Farhat, who assesses the future of Lebanon’s ties with its neighbor, the complications of the truce and what it means fo...

Host Adam Lucente speaks with Al-Monitor journalists in the region and in Washington about the announcement of upcoming Israel-Lebanon talks and the ceasefire deal with Iran. They discuss how the US, Israel, and Iran assess their performance in the war; why Israel-Lebanon negotiations may be moving forward now; the latest developments in the Gulf; and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/...

Al-Monitor’s senior market research analyst, Samuel Wendel , joins host Adam Lucente to discuss alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian restrictions in the waterway. The discussion covers the feasibility of pipeline and overland routes, the potential for Gulf cooperation on the issue, and which regional states are most at risk of losing oil and gas revenue. See Privacy Policy at https://...

Al-Monitor news reporter Rosaleen Carroll joins host Adam Lucente to recap Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s first-ever trips to Germany and the United Kingdom, including what the visits mean for the return of refugees and Syria’s position on the US-Israel-Iran war. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Al-Monitor’s defense and security correspondent, Jared Szuba, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the US' potential ground operations against Iran. They also cover how close the Trump administration is to achieving its goal of degrading Iran's military capabilities and the degree of damage done to US assets in the region. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice...