Mideastwire.com

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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

22-Apr-2024

Egypt

Politics

“Will Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement contain regional crises?” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Arab Diplomacy - Peace Process

On April 20, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following report from Cairo by its correspondent Fathiya ad-Dakhakhni: “The fact that Cairo and Ankara proceeded with steady steps toward the enhancement of the relations between the two countries after years of severance, raised questions surrounding the role that could be played by the Egyptian-Qatari rapprochement in containing the crises in the Middle East region, especially since these crises were the topic of discussion between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in the city of Istanbul on Saturday… At this level, expert on Turkish affairs at the Al-Ahram Political and Strategic Studies Center Karam Saeed told Asharq al-Awsat: “Shoukry’s visit to Turkey comes at a very important and critical time… (Read More)

Iran

Politics

“Iranian newspaper: Negotiations between Tehran, Washington surrounding Gaza, nuclear deal” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Energy - Military and Security - Peace Process - USA Europe

On April 21, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper carried the following report from Tehran by its correspondent Saber Gul Anbari: “Amid the latest tensions, signs of a diplomatic action between Tehran and Washington started to emerge to address the issues of dispute between them, at the head of which are the negotiations to revive the nuclear deal and the war on Gaza. At this level, the Iranian Shargh newspaper revealed today on Sunday that talks were being held in New York between Iran’s permanent envoy to the United Nations Saeed Iravani, and US officials. These talks come at a time when the region is witnessing extreme tensions, which escalated with the beginning of the war on Gaza, the announcement by armed factions linked to Tehran in Iraq and Syria of the targeting of US interests in the region, the launching by the Iran-backed Houthis of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, and more recently, the direct and public mutual bombing between Iran and Israel and the fear of seeing the US sliding toward a direct confrontation with Tehran… (Read More)

“Iran and Israel: the untold story!” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security

On April 22, the privately-owned Asas Media website carried the following report by Falah al-Hassan: “The international and regional decision-making circles were busy with the events that occurred on Friday at dawn around the Iranian city of Isfahan. There is talk about an attack on the vicinity of some strategic locations affiliated with the Iranian military forces, and the nuclear and airforce industries… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Factions rebel against government, Washington understandings…” (Al-Mada, Iraq)

Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security - USA Europe

On April 20, the independent Al-Mada newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Tamim al-Hassan: “At a time when Prime Minister Mohammad as-Sudani was denying from Washington the reasons for the stay of the Coalition forces, several missiles fell on a [Popular] Mobilization headquarters in South Baghdad, one of which created a 10-meter-wide crater. According to the official tale, the attack caused the death and injury of 9 Mobilization elements and a soldier in the army, at a time when the military command has yet to identify the side that stood behind the incident. The attack on the Mobilization headquarters was seen shortly after the emergence of reports about Israel’s targeting of a nuclear facility in Isfahan in northern Iran, noting that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry warned on Friday against the threat of military escalation following the Israeli bombing of Iran… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

“The ghost of “Trump’s return” among the possibilities studied by Jordan” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Monarchies/Dictatorships - USA Europe

On April 21, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its Amman Office Chief Bassam Bdareen: “The opinion saying that the night of the deterrence of the Iranian drones and missiles that were targeting Israel on April 14 was beneficial and allowed Jordan to hit several birds with one stone, is strongly emerging among the Jordanian elite. This is due to the fact that even though it created some tension with the Iranians and might harm Jordan’s interests in Iraq and Syria, it was the product of a sovereignty decision prompted by the fact that it was placed in a critical corner… The first bird hit by the Jordanian institution – as stated in the hallways of the Cabinet and the Policies Council – is that it confirmed to all parties that Amman will not allow itself to be turned into an arena for the settlement of scores between two axes… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“’Liberating’ the oil and gas extraction: One additional condition in the battle of the South” (Website, Middle East)

Energy - Military and Security

On April 22, Munir al-Rabih wrote the following report in the electronic Al-Modon daily newspaper: “In his last speech, the Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah focused on bringing the consideration back to the file of the oil and gas, especially in the South. The Party considers this file as a top priority, especially as Nasrallah indicated that no one can accept that Israel is extracting and seeking to export oil and gas from the Karish Field while the Lebanese file is still frozen… (Read More)

“Bassil escalates against his FPM opponents…” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On April 22, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “On Sunday, the Head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, launched a firm attack on what he called “the dirty hands and hearts in the Free Patriotic Movement [FPM].” This was the first public indication of the escalating differences in one of the main Maronite parties in Lebanon. Bassil’s statements came in the aftermath of the sacking of the FPM official and the Deputy Parliament Speaker, Elias Abou Saab, an event that caused a wide debate in the FPM and enhanced the divisions reigning over the movement for a while now. At the inauguration of the Youth House in the area of Jezzine, Bassil said “In the FPM, there are wide hands and there are rough hands. When someone in the FPM dirties their hands, that someone is out. We at the FPM do not recognize neither the dirty hands, nor the dirty hearts, nor the dirty characters… (Read More)

Middle East

Politics

“Is Hamas looking to leave Qatar? What are its options?” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security - Monarchies/Dictatorships

On April 20, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following report from Ramallah: “According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Hamas’s political command is looking to potentially move its headquarters outside of Qatar, a report which neither Qatar nor Hamas commented on. Indeed, Arab sources told the newspaper that the movement’s command contacted at least two regional states during the last few days, one of which was the Sultanate of Oman, to see whether or not they were open to hosting the political leaders in their capitals. It is worth mentioning at this level that Hamas’s leaders have been living in the Qatari capital Doha since 2012, based on an arrangement backed by the United States. The newspaper assured that this was happening in light of the intensification of the pressures on Doha in the context of its mediation to ensure a truce in Gaza, which includes the return of the hostages… (Read More)

Palestine

Politics

“Hamas struggling to maintain its political influence in light of dwindling military power” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security

On April 22, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “The Hamas Movement’s command can sense it is losing its influence over the Palestinian equation in light of the massive losses suffered by its military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, during the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Territory for seven months now. Hamas is trying to mitigate the damages it has sustained as a result of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation it launched on October 7, knowing that these losses shall certainly reflect on the Movement’s political presence. Hamas has been seeking to alleviate that through the latest moves of its politburo, and by being open to agreements with the other components of the Palestinian specter on the basis of partnership in managing the Territory… (Read More)

Russia

Politics

“The details of the Russian role in the backstage of the retaliations’ battle” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security

On April 19, Imad Marmal wrote the following report in the privately-owned Al-Joumhouria daily newspaper: “After the Iranian strike against the Israeli entity and Tel Aviv’s threatening of a response, Russia proceeded, in public and via the diplomatic channels, to call on all the parties to practice self-restraint to shield the region against sliding into a wide confrontation. So what are the details of the role that Moscow is playing in this regional crisis?… (Read More)

Syria

Opinion

“Bashar al-Assad’s messages “to those concerned” in the ongoing war!” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On April 22, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following lead editorial: “On April 1, the region’s skies became dark when an Israeli air raid bombed an annex of the Iranian consulate near its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus. So, what did the Syrian regime do after the dangerous operation occurred on its soil? It did exactly what was expected of it: It stayed in its “vase position” in the face of the Israeli army, just as it has done throughout the last two decades. The attack on that position was the 94th by Tel Aviv in 2024 alone. But the problem is that the last raid, which destroyed the building and killed Syrian citizens, was not an ordinary violation of the alleged sovereignty of the regime. It was rather an attack that destroyed the “entire structure” of the Quds Force command in the Revolutionary Guard in Syria and Lebanon… (Read More)

Turkey

Politics

“Turkey on the mediation line…” (Website, Middle East)

Peace Process

On April 22, Ibrahim Rayhan wrote the following report in the privately-owned Asas Media daily: “After several months of “cloudy” positions, Turkey stepped into the line of the mediation to resolve the hostages swap crisis between the Hamas Movement and Israel… While Erdogan was raising the Turkish ceiling, his diplomatic and security engines were working in several directions: Iran, Qatar, the UAE, and Lebanon. For this reason, a delegation of the [Hamas] Movement, headed by Ismail Haniyeh, and Khaled Mashal, visited Istanbul to meet with Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan… (Read More)

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