All Middle East
First LookTribal elders, not top officials, may be key to Afghan peaceIn a province in Eastern Afghanistan that has been hit hard by violence, tribal elders have managed to secure a cease-fire between the Taliban and the Afghan government 鈥� something international leaders have been unable to do.聽
For Hamas, the war is in Gaza, but Jerusalem is the prizeFor the Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, war with Israel offered an opportunity to claim the mantle of Palestinian defenders of Jerusalem.
First LookIsrael-Gaza: Pressure mounts on Biden to push for cease-fireThe U.N. Security Council and Muslim nations convened emergency meetings as Israeli warplanes carried out the deadliest attacks in nearly a week of Hamas rocket barrages and Israeli airstrikes.
First LookGaza fighting: US tells Israel to protect media after tower hitThe United States told Israel 鈥渢hat ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility,鈥� White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
In Israel, Arabs and Jews alike recoil from mob violenceThe mob violence in Israel is prompting horrified Arabs and Jews to ask: How much hard-won progress will be undone? Will it be possible to heal?
First Look'I'll go again': Afghan girls undeterred by bombing head to schoolDays after a bomb attack on a high school in Kabul that killed dozens and injured many more, students, families, and teachers refuse to let the incident stop them from getting an education. 鈥淜eep sending your girls to school,鈥� said principal Aqilat Tavakuli.
Where US-backed diplomacy is on the march in the Middle EastDespite the Israeli-Palestinian violence, there are signs the Biden administration has accelerated a 鈥渄iplomatic spring鈥� across much of the Mideast.
First LookEscalating Israeli-Palestinian tensions evoke 2014 Gaza warEscalating violence in Israel and Gaza, which began a month ago, shows no signs of abating as protests have also erupted in mixed Jewish-Arab communities. Diplomats in Qatar, Egypt, and the U.N. are working toward a cease-fire.
Iran attacked: Is Revolutionary Guard looking the wrong way?Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guard seems more focused on internal dissent than external threats. Is that a failure of imagination, or a system overwhelmed?
First LookAmid US withdrawal, a spate of bombings rock AfghanistanViolence is increasing in Afghanistan as the United States and NATO withdraw the last of their troops. While a temporary end-of-Ramadan truce is set to provide a few days of calm, long-term solutions remain out of reach for now.
First LookClashes in Jerusalem: Is city on the brink of wider conflict?Hundreds 鈥� mostly Palestinians 鈥� have been injured as tensions over longstanding property issues are boiling over into violent confrontations with police at the sacred compound that is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Judaism鈥檚 holiest site.
First LookDubai offers haven from pandemic for the world's wealthyWealthy foreign buyers are flooding the luxury property market in Dubai, driving up prices. The UAE, which has fared relatively well during the pandemic, is one of the few places in the world where they can dine, shop, and do business in person.
鈥楾hey changed everything鈥�: A central tension roiling JerusalemJerusalem鈥檚 recent riots punctured a facade of calm that obscures deep fault lines over demographics and Palestinian cultural and political life.
First LookAgainst the grain: Iranian woman finds success as auto detailerIn Tehran, Maryam Roohani is breaking ground and gender stereotypes to pursue her dream of working in the male-dominated auto industry as a car polisher. Now, she is training and inspiring other women to do the same.
First LookIran nuclear talks: Diplomats sound notes of cautious optimismIran鈥檚 chief nuclear negotiator on Saturday sounded optimistic about sanctions being lifted. But other diplomats were more cautious about progress at the talks.聽
First LookBlame for Israel's deadly stampede arrives at Netanyahu's doorPowerful ultra-Orthodox politicians reportedly pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lift attendance restrictions at a religious festival.
Saudi-Iran detente: What rivals鈥� dialogue could mean for Middle EastThe Saudi-Iran rivalry may be moving from a not-so-cold war of proxy battles to a cool peace of potential cooperation. The region stands to benefit.
First LookAfghan women ponder dreams and fears with return of TalibanWith U.S. troops leaving Afghanistan by September, many young women are worried about losing their rights and freedom if the Taliban returns as part of the new government.
Afghanistan has changed. What if exiled Taliban have not?If the ideologically rigid Taliban return from exile to take some power, if not all, in Afghanistan, what lies in store for the changed country?
First LookWatchdog says Israeli treatment of Arabs amounts to apartheidHuman Rights Watch has published a 213-page report condemning Israel for the international crimes of apartheid and persecution.聽Palestinian citizens, 20% of the population, face widespread discrimination in housing, land access, and basic services.聽