Middle East Monitor Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa

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  Iran’s president says US must lift sanctions, end threats before negotiations

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that the US must end pressure and threats and lift sanctions before any negotiations, Anadolu reports. “All regional problems, from escalating tensions to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, stem from US warmongering,” Pezeshkian said during a meeting in Tehran with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to remarks carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. “The Americans must explain why they started the war and embroiled themselves and the world in it,” he said. On the prospect of talks, Pezeshkian said: “Before any negotiations, they must first end the pressure and threats and lift sanctions.” Munir arrived in Tehran on Tuesday, accompanied by a delegation of officials. READ: Vance acknowledges ‘failures’ in US

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  Iran says supertanker carrying over 2 million barrels of oil hit mine near Hormuz

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  A supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz, the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tuesday, Anadolu reports. In a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB, the navy said the vessel was committing violations and that it had switched off all its radar and navigation systems. OPINION: Trump can strike Iran again. He cannot bomb Hormuz open The tanker ignored warnings from the IRGC Navy and was trying to leave the strait through an “unauthorized southern route” when it struck the mine, according to the statement. The navy did not identify the vessel or provide details about its flag,

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  UN warns about ‘deteriorating’ situation in Yemen’s Taiz as road closures block vital supplies

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  The UN on Tuesday warned that the humanitarian situation in Yemen’s Taiz is worsening, as road closures and insecurity block vital supplies from reaching millions, Anadolu reports. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that “road closures and insecurity are preventing vital supplies, including fuel, from entering the city and surrounding areas, leaving millions of people at risk of losing access to essential goods and services.” Dujarric said the situation in Taiz “is deteriorating,” citing colleagues on the ground. “We and our partners are doing everything possible to support people in need and help bring essential goods, services and medical supplies into Taiz,” he said. READ: US envoy says ground intervention in Yemen ‘appears pointless,’ urges regional alliances He stressed, however,

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  Israeli attacks kill 6 Palestinians, including 2 children, in Gaza despite ceasefire

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Six Palestinians, including two children and a married couple, were killed and eleven injured in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, in the latest violations of an effective ceasefire. A Palestinian was killed and another injured in an Israeli strike near al-Sawarha cemetery, west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, medical sources told Anadolu Agency. One Palestinian was seriously injured in an Israeli drone strike on the al-Qasasib area of the Jabalia refugee camp in the north, according to medical sources. Another Palestinian was killed in an Israeli strike in the Zeitoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City, medical sources told Anadolu. A Palestinian child was also killed by Israeli army fire in the Wadi Gaza area

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  Israel’s Ben-Gvir boasts of Gaza’s destruction, mocks Palestinian residents in AI-generated video

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir boasted Tuesday of the destruction of the Gaza Strip and mocked Palestinian residents in a campaign video released ahead of parliamentary elections, Anadolu reports. Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, posted the AI-generated clip on US social media platform X, presenting a vision of Gaza in 2030 based on the widespread destruction inflicted by his government. The video shows the enclave as a ghost town, with its schools, infrastructure and port destroyed. A scene showing a donkey is followed by the party’s message: “You’d have to be a donkey to stay in Gaza,” mocking Palestinians who remain. Ben-Gvir has repeatedly demanded occupying Gaza, displacing its Palestinian population and establishing Israeli settlements

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  Israeli army chief excluded from secret Netanyahu-Hegseth meeting: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Israeli public broadcaster reported Tuesday that Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir was excluded from a secret meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in southern Israel, Anadolu reports. “Chief of Staff Zamir did not attend the unusual meeting held last night at an airbase in the south, nor was he summoned,” KAN said about the meeting on Monday. Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Hegseth and other officials attended the meeting, it said. KAN did not explain why Zamir was not invited to the previously unannounced talks at Ovda Airbase. Israeli media reported Tuesday that Netanyahu met Hegseth secretly the previous day at an Israeli Air Force base in southern Israel. READ: Rights group urges

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  Israeli tanks spotted near former governor’s office in Quneitra, southern Syria

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Israeli tanks were observed maneuvering near the former governor’s office in the southern Syrian city of Quneitra on Tuesday, Anadolu reports. On Sunday, Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned escalating Israeli incursions into Quneitra and neighboring Daraa province alongside increased helicopter, reconnaissance and warplane activity over southern Syria. The ministry described the operations as a “flagrant violation” of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, warning that continued Israeli incursions threatened security and stability while obstructing reconstruction and recovery efforts. READ: Israeli army opens fire on water tanker, drives away shepherds in southwestern Syria It urged the international community to take action to halt the violations and press Israel to comply with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Israeli forces have carried out repeated incursions

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  Rights group urges US to arrest Israeli commander linked to Hind Rajab’s killing

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  A rights group has asked the US Justice Department to arrest and prosecute an Israeli military commander it links to the 2024 killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. The Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) said Sean Glass, who it said is in the US, commanded the “Vampire Empire” Company of the 52nd Armored Battalion, part of the 401st Armored Brigade. “HRF’s investigation places him and his troops in the direct vicinity of Hind’s vehicle during the killing,” it said in a statement Monday. “Today, Glass walks free in the United States.” The foundation accused Glass of war crimes and genocide under US law. It alleged that he “most likely gave the order to open fire”

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  French prosecutors seek suspended prison sentence, ban on office for MEP Rima Hassan

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  French prosecutors sought a 10-month suspended prison sentence on Tuesday and a two-year ban on holding public office for European Parliament member Rima Hassan for a deleted social media post citing one of the perpetrators of a deadly 1972 attack at Tel Aviv airport, broadcaster FranceInfo reported. The prosecution argued that Hassan’s post amounted to “glorification of terrorism,” saying it “trivialized” the attack and “praised its perpetrator.” The prosecutor’s office also rejected Hassan’s claim that the case was politically motivated, calling the alleged offense “flagrant” and denying that the proceedings were brought because of her political views. READ: French associations seek court order to halt shipment to Israeli arms company Hassan, a member of the left-wing La France Insoumise party, has

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  German activists block arms factories over weapons exports to Israel

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Pro-Palestinian activists blocked entrances to several German arms manufacturing sites on Tuesday, protesting the country’s continued weapons exports to Israel, Anadolu reports. The coordinated sit-ins were organized by the group Peacefully Against Genocide. Protesters targeted multiple locations of weapons manufacturers, including Rheinmetall facilities and a General Dynamics site. In Berlin, demonstrators staged a sit-in in front of Rheinmetall’s plant in Wedding. Laila Fuisz of Peacefully Against Genocide said in a statement that for three years people in Palestine have been killed daily. “For three years Israel has been committing a genocide against Palestinians,” she said. Despite that, the German government continues to approve weapons deliveries to Israel and companies such as Rheinmetall produce at full speed, Fuisz stressed. READ: Germany urges

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  Saudi Arabia launches 2026-27 archaeology season in AlUla, Khaybar

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Saudi Arabia has launched its 2026-27 Archaeology Season across AlUla and Khaybar, focusing on research, excavation and conservation in one of the most significant archaeological landscapes in the country’s northwest, Anadolu reports. The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) said in a statement on Monday that the season builds on previous years of archaeological research, excavation, documentation and conservation and is aimed at advancing knowledge of the region’s history while developing Saudi expertise in archaeology and cultural heritage. According to the state news agency SPA, the program combines fieldwork, specialized studies, digital documentation, conservation, community engagement and capacity building. The commission said this year’s research will focus on early human presence, ancient Arabian kingdoms and oasis communities, travel and pilgrimage routes,

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  UK to deploy Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for defensive missions

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  The UK will deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to protect its cities and critical infrastructure against Houthi attacks, the British government announced Tuesday, Anadolu reports. The aircraft will conduct defensive missions to protect Saudi airspace against missile and drone attacks but will not carry out offensive strikes against the Houthis, according to a government statement. The UK will also deploy an RAF A400M transport aircraft to facilitate the movement of defense materiel within Saudi Arabia. Military advisers will be sent to support Saudi staff officers, the government said. READ: Saudi Arabia postpones future investment initiative until 2027 following Houthi attacks London will also extend air-to-air refueling support for Saudi defensive air operations, including operations targeting Houthi

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  More than 250,000 displaced in Yemen since August as fighting escalates: UNHCR

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  More than 250,000 people have been displaced in Yemen between Aug. 1 and Oct. 17 as hostilities intensified across the country, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said Tuesday, Anadolu reports. The figure rose from nearly 213,000 previously reported, with Taiz remaining at the center of the displacement crisis, accounting for 76% of departures and hosting 52% of those newly displaced. Lahj in southwestern Yemen hosts 23% of the newly displaced population, followed by Aden in the south with 13%, according to UNHCR. “Shelling intensified in Taiz, including in residential areas and around health facilities, while insecurity and restrictions along key routes continue to constrain humanitarian access and movement,” the agency said in a statement. “In Aden, strikes were reported, including

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  FIFA suspends Egypt coach Hossam Hassan for 3 matches after criticizing World Cup refereeing

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  FIFA suspended Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan for three matches following comments he made after the team’s World Cup round-of-16 defeat to Argentina, the Egyptian Football Association announced Monday, Anadolu reports. Forward Mostafa Zico was also handed a five-match ban, it added. The sanctions stem from Egypt’s 3-2 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta, US, on July 6 during the World Cup. “The Egyptian Football Association received the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee regarding Hossam Hassan, the national team coach, Ibrahim Hassan, the team manager, and player Mostafa Zico,” the association said in a statement. Ibrahim Hassan was suspended for three matches. The association said it had requested “the detailed reasons and justifications for the decisions” from FIFA to assess

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  US envoy says ground intervention in Yemen ‘appears pointless,’ urges regional alliances

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  US special envoy Tom Barrack said Tuesday that Washington is providing logistical support to Saudi Arabia, but a US ground intervention in the conflict involving Yemen’s Houthis “appears pointless,” Anadolu reports. Speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, Barrack, who serves as US ambassador to Türkiye and special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, said President Donald Trump supports Saudi Arabia logistically amid escalating hostilities between the kingdom and the Houthi group. He also urged Middle Eastern countries to establish regional alliances rather than rely on Washington to resolve their problems. Barrack said the US was redefining its role in the Middle East, moving away from direct control and intervention toward supporting regional countries in managing their own security.

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  Israel uses occupier violence to ‘ethnically cleanse’ Palestinians from West Bank: Amnesty

  by EditorMehdi on October 20, 2026

  Amnesty International warned Monday that the massive escalation of state-backed Israeli occupier violence is aimed at “ethnically cleansing” Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, saying the attacks are not isolated incidents but a “central policy of the Israeli state,” Anadolu reports. The London-based rights group called on countries to impose sanctions on Israeli officials involved in serious violations of international law, ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements and halt the supply of weapons and security equipment to Israel. The statement came in response to attacks carried out by Israeli occupiers in recent days against Palestinian farmers in the West Bank, as well as European diplomats and an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post. “Amnesty International has long been sounding the

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  Olive theft is just one component of Israel’s colonial structure

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Observations have become the only way in which the UN feigns intervention against Israeli colonial violence. A recent press release published by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) noted the increased violence by Israeli settlers against farmers during the olive harvest. The UN Special Rapporteurs who signed the press release described how preventing Palestinian farmers from accessing their land is resulting in economic hardships, displacing Bedouin and herding communities, and undermining Palestinian food sovereignty. It also noted that Israel altered its policy this year to prevent Palestinians from harvesting olives on land that has been classified as ‘State land’. “The experts urged Israel to ensure that its forces protect Palestinian farmers from settler attacks, refrain

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  The unravelling alliance – when Israel’s interests clash with America’s

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  The relationship between the United States and Israel has long been presented as an alliance founded on shared democratic values, strategic interests and an enduring commitment to regional security. But beneath this familiar narrative, a more difficult question is emerging: what happens when an ally’s regional ambitions begin to undermine the wider interests of the superpower that sustains it? The United States is a global power with responsibilities extending far beyond Israel. It must protect maritime trade, maintain energy security, manage relations with major powers, reassure its regional partners and prevent conflicts from spiralling into wider wars. Israel, meanwhile, has increasingly pursued a security doctrine centred on military dominance, pre-emptive action and the persistent neutralisation of perceived threats. These objectives

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  Italian engineering firm withdraws from Jerusalem cable car project amid continued opposition

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  An Italian engineering consultancy has withdrawn from a planned cable car project near Jerusalem’s Old City, becoming the fifth foreign company to pull out of the initiative amid longstanding legal, environmental and political objections. According to a report published Monday by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Jerusalem Development Authority had announced plans to contract Italian firm Engineering Ropeway ROPES to provide technical consulting services for the project. The company subsequently confirmed to Italian media that it would no longer participate. About a month earlier, the authority’s tender committee had approved an exemption from the competitive bidding process, arguing that no Israeli company possessed the expertise required to provide the project’s specialised engineering services. However, the Italian consultancy later reversed its

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  Netanyahu says Ben-Gvir will hold prominent ministerial position in next government

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir would hold a prominent position in any future government he forms, following a public dispute over whether Ben-Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party would be included in the next governing coalition. In a video circulated on social media, Netanyahu told residents of the Israeli city of Lod that “Ben-Gvir will be a prominent minister” in the government he hopes to establish after the 27th October parliamentary elections. Netanyahu did not specify which portfolio Ben-Gvir would receive. Ben-Gvir currently serves as national security minister and leads Otzma Yehudit. The remarks came a day after Ben-Gvir accused Netanyahu’s office of assuring several European Union countries that his party

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  Saudi Arabia postpones future investment initiative until 2027 following Houthi attacks

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Saudi Arabia has postponed its flagship Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference until next year following a series of deadly attacks and the suspension of operations at Riyadh’s international airport, organizers announced Monday, Anadolu reports. The annual investment forum, organized by the Future Investment Initiative Institute, had been scheduled to take place in Riyadh from 26th-29th October, attracting international political leaders, investors and senior business executives. According to Reuters, organisers confirmed the postponement amid heightened security concerns following attacks on the Kingdom in recent weeks, as regional hostilities continue to escalate. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the decision represents a setback for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to attract foreign investment, diversify its oil-dependent economy and advance its economic reform agenda. A consultant

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  Egyptian archaeology center urges protection of Louvre antiquities amid Paris protests

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  The Zahi Hawass Center for Archaeology and Heritage has expressed concern over the safety of Egyptian antiquities housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris, calling on French authorities to strengthen security measures following the museum’s closure amid student protests. The center, headed by prominent Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, urged the Louvre’s administration and relevant French authorities to implement precautionary measures to protect Egyptian artifacts and collections from potential damage during the demonstrations. In a statement, the organization emphasized that the antiquities represent an essential part of Egypt’s cultural heritage and a shared legacy of humanity that must be preserved for future generations. The appeal followed the Louvre’s closure to visitors on Monday after students from the École du Louvre blocked

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  Israeli Medical Association warns of rising doctors emigration amid healthcare concerns

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Concerns are growing over the increasing number of doctors leaving Israel to work abroad, as security, political and economic instability following 7th October 2023, places additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system. Data presented Monday at a conference on physician emigration organized by the Israeli Medical Association in Ramat Gan highlighted a sharp increase in the number of medical professionals relocating overseas. According to the figures, the average annual number of physicians leaving Israel from the Clalit healthcare network rose from nine before 2019 to 33 since 2023, representing an increase of more than three and a half times. The rise was particularly pronounced in community medicine, where the average number of doctors departing annually increased sixfold, from three to

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  Libya’s Grand Mufti accuses US and Israel of backing Saddam Haftar for leadership

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Libya’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Sadiq al-Ghariani, has accused the United States and Israel of seeking to install Saddam Haftar, son of eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, as the country’s leader, warning that such a move could trigger armed conflict. In statements published on his personal platforms, al-Ghariani alleged that Washington and Tel Aviv were supporting Saddam Haftar’s political ambitions as part of efforts presented as a solution to Libya’s prolonged political and institutional divisions. The Grand Mufti pointed to reports of a possible meeting between Saddam Haftar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Abu Dhabi, describing the alleged encounter as an indication of efforts to secure international support for Haftar’s son. Al-Ghariani claimed that Saddam Haftar possessed qualities

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  Israel designates 45 acres of land in Bethlehem, Hebron as ‘state land’

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Israel has declared about 183 dunums (45 acres) of land in the towns of Battir, Sa’ir and al-Shuyukh in the occupied West Bank districts of Bethlehem and Hebron as “state land”, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said on Monday. The government body said in a statement that the two declarations were issued on 18th  October and signed by the official responsible for government and abandoned property in the Israeli occupation’s “Civil Administration”. It said the measures were linked to settlement expansion and efforts to legalise settlement outposts. Declaring land “state land” allows Israeli authorities to take control of it and manage and dispose of it under the laws and procedures they apply, preventing its owners from using it or

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  Yemen: Houthis Prosecute UN, Civil Society Staff

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  The Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen have sent at least eight people involved in human rights and humanitarian work for criminal prosecution, on espionage-related charges punishable by death, since August 18, 2026, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. They include two United Nations employees, a UN consultant, and five people who worked with international and local civil society organizations on a range of issues, including health, human rights, and humanitarian aid, Human Rights Watch reports. The Houthis should immediately halt these prosecutions and unconditionally release the eight people whose cases were sent to the prosecution, as well as the scores of other UN staff and civil society workers the Houthis have arbitrarily detained over the past two

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  Egypt: Authorities Arrest Entire Investigative Newsroom

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Egyptian security forces arrested six journalists working for the independent investigative journalism platform Matsda2sh on September 28 and 29, 2026, and appear to have forcibly disappeared them, Human Rights Watch said. The journalists’ whereabouts are unknown and their families and lawyers have not been permitted contact with them, Human Rights Watch reports. Security forces arrested the journalists in raids across the country. They are: Abdallah Qadry, Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Mohamed Adel. The six journalists constitute the investigate platform’s entire editorial newsroom. “Egyptian authorities’ simultaneous arrest of the entire newsroom at a prominent independent news platform is deeply alarming,” said Bassam Khawaja, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

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  Erdogan warns Israel against attempts to stir chaos in Syria

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned against Israeli attempts to incite chaos in Syria, while expressing his welcome for the positive developments there. “We are receiving good news from Syria, but Israel is doing its utmost to stir up chaos there too,” Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara. The region is facing a storm of crises that are intensifying day by day, he said, according to Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency. “The Russia-Ukraine war on our northern border will enter its fifth year in a few months. Israel’s war on Palestine continues unabated despite the agreements signed, and before tensions in Iran have fully subsided, a new conflict has erupted, this time in Yemen,” he added. Erdogan said Houthi

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  2 Palestinians killed in Israeli attack near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  IMAGES: Funeral ceremony for Palestinian couple killed during Israeli attack in Gaza City

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  Funeral ceremony for Palestinian couple killed during Israeli attack in Gaza City

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Images: Around 5,600 children among 22,000 Gaza patients awaiting medical evacuation, official says

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  Smotrich renews threats against Egypt, saying ‘there will be no Sinai’

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has renewed his threats against Cairo, questioning President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s assurances that the country has no territorial ambitions and does not seek war with Israel, and warning that it could lose the Sinai Peninsula. Smotrich said he is not reassured by Sisi’s statements, adding that Israel would ensure Cairo does not attack it if it understood, in his words, that “the next time they attack, there will be no Sinai”. The remarks follow an earlier controversy over Smotrich’s comments about the peninsula. In a video interview, he said Egypt would lose Sinai if it attacked Israel. Cairo rejected the Israeli minister’s remarks, describing them as “empty threats” and affirming its ability to protect its

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  Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threaten to target key internet cables

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened to target major internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying it has identified new targets amid the ongoing war with the United States and the tightening blockade on Iran. “Seven major internet cables pass under the Strait of Hormuz, and the enemy must know that we have new targets,” the IRGC said on Monday. Earlier, US embassies in four Middle Eastern countries warned of possible rapid security developments, including attacks by Iran and its allies. The warnings were issued in statements late on Sunday by US embassies in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Israel. The embassies urged US citizens to exercise ‘heightened vigilance’ due to the “complex

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  UNRWA head warns of looming Gaza winter crisis, urges Europe to pressure Israel

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned of an alarming humanitarian situation in Gaza ahead of winter, saying the vast majority of people remain in damaged shelters and face the threat of sleeping in floodwater, Anadolu reports. “The situation is very serious,” UNRWA’s acting chief, Christian Saunders, said in an interview with Anadolu, stressing that recovery and reconstruction efforts must accelerate before winter sets in. “We have the winter approaching. There will be a lot of rain as there is every year,” Saunders said. “Because the infrastructure has been destroyed, that water will accumulate around where people are living and people will be sleeping in water and it gets cold. We cannot allow these conditions to remain.” ​​​​​​​He called on

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  Saudi Arabia postpones ‘Davos in the Desert’ forum amid Houthi attacks

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Saudi Arabia has postponed its flagship investment conference until next year following deadly attacks that have shaken the kingdom in recent weeks as the conflict in the Middle East has widened, organisers of the Future Investment Initiative said on Monday. Three sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP) earlier on Monday that the forum, known as “Davos in the Desert”, would be postponed. The conference showcases Saudi Arabia’s ambitious investment plans as the kingdom seeks to attract billions of dollars to fund its economic transformation strategy, which aims to reduce reliance on oil and gas and expand into tourism, sports and technology. A source familiar with the matter told AFP that the event “will not take place as scheduled”, adding that organisers

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  Egyptians do not trust General El-Sisi’s promises

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Egyptians had barely begun to take comfort in President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s pledge not to tamper with the Constitution and his assurance that 2030 would mark the end of his third presidential term, only for him to deal them a severe blow by revealing his intention to select Egypt’s next ruler through a training programme at the military academy run by the armed forces. El-Sisi, 72, made the remarks earlier this week during a graduation ceremony for new classes at the Military Academy in the New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo. The remarks came just days after he reaffirmed his commitment to the Constitution at the armed forces’ 44th educational seminar. Militarising the presidency The vision outlined by the Egyptian

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  Araghchi: Europe paying price for miscalculations, just like US

  by Marwa A on October 20, 2026

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Europe is paying the price for its miscalculations, just like the United States, arguing that its policies had contributed to wars and other problems around the world. He was speaking at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Tehran. Araghchi said Europe was complicit with the United States in attacks on Iran, pointing to events in France. “Europe must face the truth. Just like the United States, Europe is paying the price for its mistakes, and its misguided policies are the cause of many of the wars and problems facing the world today,” he said. Araghchi stressed that diplomacy is the only way to address crises in

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  Pakistan providing Saudi Arabia ‘whatever support needed’ amid Houthi attacks: Army spokesman

  by Marwa A on October 19, 2026

  Pakistan is providing Saudi Arabia with “whatever support is needed” to defend the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group, a Pakistani military spokesman said in an interview aired Sunday, Anadolu reports. “It’s non-negotiable; it’s absolute as far as Pakistan is concerned,” Pakistan Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Independent Arabia. “So whatever support is needed to do that is being provided and will be provided,” he said, adding that alliances do not publicly disclose the specifics or extent of military support. His remarks came amid Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil and financial infrastructure, including airports, in recent weeks. Chaudhry said Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the security of the two holy mosques were “paramount” for Pakistan.

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  How to Sell a Genocide: The Media’s Complicity in the Destruction of Gaza

  by Marwa A on October 19, 2026

  The dispute over whether Israel’s assault on Gaza amounts to genocide has largely been settled. Amnesty International, a UN commission of inquiry and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have all reached that conclusion, as have many leading scholars of genocide. The question that remains is how the greatest political crime of our time was allowed to happen. Adam H. Johnson’s How to Sell a Genocide goes a long way to explaining it. Published by Pluto Press with a foreword by the Palestinian American human rights lawyer Noura Erakat, the book covers the crucial period from October 2023 to October 2024, when Western audiences were primed for genocide. Johnson shows that the mainstream American media did much of the priming.

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  Egypt postpones until next week vote on military support for Saudi Arabia

  by Marwa A on October 19, 2026

  Egypt’s parliament has postponed for a week, until Oct. 26, a vote on authorizing military support to help defend Saudi Arabia if it requests assistance, Anadolu reports. Egypt’s parliament decided to postpone the vote during Monday’s session, which followed a similar meeting held on Sunday, reported state-run daily Akhbar el-Yom. The parliament had also adjourned Sunday’s session, deferring further deliberations until Monday. The discussions came at the request of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who said on Saturday that Cairo would take all necessary measures to defend Saudi Arabia if it requests assistance. Saudi Arabia has recently come under attack by Yemen’s Houthi group. Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in

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  Israel violating US-mediated framework agreement, Lebanese president says

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that Israel has failed to comply with a US-mediated framework agreement signed in June and continues daily violations in southern Lebanon, reaffirming his country’s commitment to a diplomatic solution, Anadolu reports. Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency. “The Israelis have not adhered to the framework agreement, and the south continues to face daily violations,” Aoun said. He stressed that continued Israeli violations would not achieve their objectives but would instead strengthen the Lebanese people’s determination to defend their land and rights. Aoun said the violations were obstructing the Lebanese state’s

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  Iran says 20 to 30 aircraft destroyed during war with US, Israel

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  Between 20 and 30 aircraft were destroyed during Iran’s war with the US and Israel, the head of the country’s state-owned flag carrier said Monday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Taher Abdolhai, CEO of Iran Air, also known as HOMA, said at a news conference that Iran needs approximately 1,000 passenger aircraft but currently has only around 300. Of those, between 130 and 140 aircraft were operational before the war, with 20 to 30 destroyed during the conflict, he said. Abdolhai also said between 70 and 80 aircraft were targeted during the war. He claimed Israeli attacks had caused particularly severe damage to Iran Air aircraft, saying some planes belonging to other operators were struck by single missiles,

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  UK threatens sanctions against firms linked to Israel’s illegal settlements in West Bank

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Monday warned companies and individuals against bidding for construction projects linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing potential sanctions, Anadolu reports. “We urge businesses and individuals not to proceed with bids for E1 construction tenders,” Miliband said in a statement. He warned that participation in the project could carry legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of involvement in serious breaches of international law. “I want to be very clear with those considering engaging in the tendering process: we have created new powers allowing us to sanction individuals and companies involved in the construction of illegal settlements such as E1,” Miliband said. READ: British premier defends sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements

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  Israel’s Ben-Gvir uses fines against mosques in election campaigning

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  Extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday used penalties imposed on mosques to promote his election campaign, boasting about a fine issued to a mosque in the southern town of Tel Sheva, Anadolu reports. The move comes amid intensifying competition among Israeli political parties ahead of elections scheduled for Oct. 27, with Arab parties accusing Ben-Gvir of exploiting measures against the Arab community in Israel for electoral purposes and to intimidate Arab voters. On Sunday, Israeli police, who fall under Ben-Gvir’s authority, raided Al-Rahma Mosque in the Abu Anza neighborhood of Tel Sheva and issued a fine over the alleged excessive volume of its loudspeakers. Posting a photo of the mosque on Telegram on Monday, Ben-Gvir said police

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  UN food agency cuts Gaza assistance by one-third amid funding shortages

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  The UN World Food Program (WFP) announced Monday that funding shortages have forced it to cut food assistance in the Gaza Strip by around one-third, leaving half a million people without critical support as winter approaches, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the agency said it is now assisting 1.1 million vulnerable people in Gaza, down from 1.6 million last month, while food rations have been halved. Families receiving assistance will now get one food parcel instead of two, along with a smaller bag of wheat flour, it said. The number of daily hot meals has also dropped from 250,000 to 150,000, while families in hard-to-reach areas, including near the Israeli army-controlled “yellow line,” will receive meals every other day instead

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  Trump can strike Iran again. He cannot bomb Hormuz open

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  A navy can control water. It can’t make a merchant captain sail through it. Warships stop missiles, sure, but no admiral can promise a shipping company that its crew, its cargo and its insurance cover will all survive the next voyage. That gap is the real problem in the US-Iran war, and airstrikes alone won’t close it. Look at what happened this month. Kpler data shows nearly 20.8 million barrels of oil passed through the strait on 8th October, but only 2.9 million on 11th October. A single day proves little, and Washington disputes independent tracking of the strait anyway. CENTCOM says about 97 percent of ships seeking to transit have done so without being hit. Still, the drop shows

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  When diplomacy arrived in Jakarta and justice did not

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  The paradox has acquired a second dimension, and it is written in the ruins of Gaza. Indonesia, a nation that presents itself to the world as a rising democratic power and an indispensable partner for global stability, now positions itself as a moral voice for Palestine while presiding over a domestic order in which liberty is conditional, and dissent is reframed as betrayal.  Under President Prabowo Subianto, this is not a story of isolated abuses. It is the architecture of a state that has learned to speak the language of international responsibility while hollowing out the rights it claims to protect—at home and, increasingly, in its diplomatic conduct abroad. The same logic that shields Jakarta from scrutiny over West Papua

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  From TAPI to CASA-1000: How can Afghanistan benefit from energy corridors?

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  In Herat, construction on the TAPI pipeline is advancing, raising questions about when local businesses and households might receive its gas. TOLOnews, citing Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, reported that nearly 25 kilometres of pipeline had been laid, with more of the route prepared for construction. For Afghan consumers, the practical questions concern supply: who will receive the gas, at what price, and through which distribution network? These questions deserve as much attention as construction milestones. TAPI and CASA-1000 could give Afghanistan a stronger role in regional energy trade. The challenge is to secure domestic gains from projects whose commercial logic extends well beyond its borders. Two corridors, different purposes TAPI is intended to carry Turkmen gas through Afghanistan

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  Resisting Erasure: Libraries in Palestine and Palestine in Libraries

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  In the foreword to Resisting Erasure: Libraries in Palestine and Palestine in Libraries (Litwin Books, 2026), Emily Drabinksy writes about the difficulties encountered while indexing articles about settler colonialism and apartheid in the occupied West Bank in 2003. “The thesaurus I was required to use did not include such terms in relation to the territory known as Israel. In fact, Palestine did not exist at all, except as a historical formation.” Indexing anything related to Palestine under Arab-Israel conflict, Drabinski notes, erased the Palestinian experience while lending impunity to Israel’s violence and the US role in arming Israel.  Editors Nora Lester Murad and Mary L. Onorato situate the book within the impact of the metaphor and reality of war: the

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  The very stable genius, nine years later

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  In January 2018, after a book questioned his mental fitness, the president of the United States sat down and wrote his own diagnosis. “My two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart,” he tweeted. “I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius. And a very stable genius at that!” He was 71 years old. Nearly nine years and one reelection later, the self-assessment has not moved an inch. The facts around it have. Start with the war he promised would never happen. Trump campaigned twice on ending American wars, not starting them. In January, the US military struck targets across Venezuela and extracted President Nicolás Maduro, who now sits in a New York jail

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  Trump, Epstein, and the Netanyahu endorsement: The strange standards of Western shame

  by EditorMehdi on October 19, 2026

  There is something magnificently obscene about a civilization that treats association with a sex trafficker as a moral scandal but endorsement of a leader accused of genocide as statesmanship. Donald Trump’s enthusiastic endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections exposes a truth Western imperial power has long concealed beneath its civilizational pretensions: barbarism is supposedly what the darker nations do. Mass killing, when perpetrated by favored allies, becomes foreign policy. Jeffrey Epstein is a scandal. Benjamin Netanyahu is celebrated. One association invites repudiation; the other earns presidential endorsement. Behold the moral double standard of empire: depravity is condemned when it embarrasses power and defended when it serves it. Trump’s association with Epstein has become politically radioactive, prompting