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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 / Gulf Alliances
    • Saudi sources reportedly said Riyadh blocked Egypt—at least temporarily—from joining the new Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani collective-defense pact, citing distrust of Cairo’s perceived alignment with Abu Dhabi. Turkey had pushed for Egyptian participation and says the door remains open. (Arabi21, citing Middle East Eye)
    • Cairo may also be deliberately “waiting,” seeking to preserve ties with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE while avoiding binding military commitments that could constrain its freedom of action. (Al-Arab)

 

  • Iraq
    • Informed political sources say U.S. objections to ministerial nominees tied to armed factions are delaying completion of Iraq’s cabinet, effectively linking government formation to progress on bringing weapons under state control. (Al-Khaleej Online/Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • Iraqi sources describe a possible Iranian-backed “shadow plan”: faction weapons would be stored in designated PMF depots, while small clandestine cells could retain drones for emergency operations under alternative names. (Al-Mada)

 

  • UAE / Egyptians
    • Egyptian workers and investors say thousands of valid UAE residency permits have been unexpectedly cancelled since late July, including for teachers, oil-sector professionals and other long-term residents. (Al-Quds al-Arabi)
    • One Egyptian investor estimated at least 3,000 cancellations across Egyptian-owned companies, with affected businesses saying authorities have provided no clear explanation. (Al-Quds al-Arabi)

 

  • Iran
    • Tehran has restored veteran IRGC figures to top security posts, suggesting the leadership is prioritizing loyalty, internal cohesion and militarization amid war damage and severe economic pressure. (Al-Khaleej Online)
    • Analysts cited in the report argue the “old guard” may strengthen regime control but cannot solve Iran’s underlying economic and social crisis. (Al-Khaleej Online)

 

  • Syria / Russia
    • Moscow and Damascus reportedly reached a memorandum redefining Hmeimim and Tartus, with civilian facilities returning to Syrian management and military sites becoming joint training centers. (Al-Arab)
    • Despite speculation over an “Assad-for-bases” bargain, the report says no evidence currently indicates Moscow is prepared to extradite Bashar al-Assad. (Al-Arab)

 

  • Palestine
    • Hamas plans to contest the November 28 legislative elections through a broad coalition, potentially using the vote to rebuild formal political legitimacy despite its weakened military position. (Al-Arab)
    • The analysis warns Hamas may not need to win outright: a substantial parliamentary bloc could make it indispensable to future Palestinian political arrangements. (Al-Arab)
TODAY’S DAILY BRIEFING
13-Aug-2026
Egypt
Politics
"Egypt and the Mecca Agreement: Maintaining equal distance from Saudi Arabia and the UAE"  (Newspaper, Middle East)
Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security - Monarchies/Dictatorships
On August 13, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: Egypt’s absence from the “Mecca Agreement” for joint defense between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan was not merely a protocol detail in a rapidly changing regional security landscape. Cairo, which has long been a key player in Arab security arrangements, found itself this time outside the core of a new defense alliance led by Riyadh, despite its strategic location and military and political weight making it a natural candidate for membership… (Read More)
"Has Sisi lost Saudi Arabia as strategic ally due to his bias in favor of the UAE?"  (Website, Middle East)   
Arab Diplomacy - Monarchies/Dictatorships
On August 12, the Egyptian Arabi 21 news site carried the following report from Cairo: While most political analyses attributed Egypt's non-participation in the Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defense agreement signed on August 7th to the Egyptian regime's desire to avoid involvement in the current regional conflict, a report by Middle East Eye asserted that Cairo did not decline participation, but rather that Riyadh rejected Egyptian involvement… (Read More)
Iran
Politics
"Generals of the old guard returning to the forefront in Iran: Will they save the crumbling regime?"  (Website, Middle East)
Military and Security
On August 13, the electronic Al-Khaleej Online daily carried the following report: In the midst of a war that has left no institution in Iran untouched, the Iranian leadership appears to have opted to return to what it knows best: the veteran generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In recent days, Tehran has witnessed a series of appointments that have reinstated several prominent figures from the IRGC's founding generation to highly sensitive military and security positions. This move seems to go beyond a mere reshuffling of the military establishment and carries political implications for the future of the regime itself… (Read More)
Iraq
Opinion
"Qaani in Baghdad: What is left of the so-called Quds Force?"  (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)
Religion
On August 11, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following lead editorial: It is neither exceptional nor unusual for a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to visit Iraq and meet with leaders of what are now known as the "loyalist factions," which are linked, through indirect or even direct means, to political, security, military, and sectarian apparatuses in Tehran. Nor is it surprising that these meetings are preceded by any official meetings the Iranian visitor holds with Iraqi government officials, regardless of their positions or ranks… (Read More)
Politics
"Hours after Qaani's visit, a US veto halts the formation of the Iraqi government"  (Website, Middle East)   
Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security - USA Europe
On August 13, the electronic Al-Khaleej Online daily carried the following report: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Mohsen al-Ahmad's efforts to complete his cabinet face new political obstacles, as US pressure on Baghdad intensifies to resolve the issue of armed factions' weapons. This comes amidst a surprise visit to Baghdad by Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani… (Read More)
"Factions' "shadow plan": Preserved weapons, "pockets for drones" in case of emergency"  (Al-Mada, Iraq)   
Military and Security - USA Europe
On August 13, the independent Al-Mada newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Tamim al-Hassan: According to analysts, Tehran will likely succeed in "protecting the factions" through a new plan until the end of Donald Trump's presidency, while maintaining small pockets of influence operating in Iraq in emergencies… (Read More)
Kuwait
Opinion
"ISIL's drones in Kuwait"  (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)
Military and Security - Monarchies/Dictatorships - Terrorism
On August 13, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Saudi writer Mishary Dhayidi: Amid Kuwait's heightened vigilance against the Iranian threat, whether direct from Iran or through its proxies in Iraq, this astonishing news emerges… (Read More)
Lebanon
Politics
"Nawaf Salam and the general amnesty: transformations and changing equations"  (Website, Middle East)
Human Rights - Judicial Affairs - Military and Security
On August 13, the electronic Al-Modon daily newspaper carried the following report by Munir al-Rabih: Nawaf Salam succeeds in passing a general amnesty. Bashar al-Assad is sentenced to death. The amnesty, for the most part, was granted to those who opposed, were hostile to, or even fought against Assad. This is the clearest picture of turning a new page in the political landscape, with all its complexities, and opening a new chapter. One of the most prominent features of this new chapter was Nawaf Salam's ascension to the premiership, with all that it signifies in terms of shifting the balance of power and the standards of political governance in Lebanon. Here, Nawaf Salam appears to come from a distant place, very distant to many… (Read More)
Palestine
Politics
"Abbas's authority opens a door of salvation for Hamas through the elections"  (Newspaper, Middle East)
Democracy and Party Politics - Monarchies/Dictatorships
On August 13, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: Hamas’s participation in the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections is not merely a routine electoral decision. It carries a broader gamble: rebuilding the movement’s position within the Palestinian political system and transforming the elections from a simple democratic process into a platform for its political rehabilitation after years of war, siege, and internal conflict… (Read More)
Syria
Politics
"The rapprochement between Damascus and Moscow: Does it pave the way for an "Assad for bases" deal?"  (Newspaper, Middle East)
Judicial Affairs - Military and Security
On August 13, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: The rapprochement between Moscow and Damascus is no longer merely an attempt to normalize relations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. It has transformed into a process of restructuring one of the most sensitive issues in the relationship between the two countries: the future of the Russian presence in Syria… (Read More)
Tunisia
Politics
"Open national petition: A call to save the republic"  (Website, Middle East)
Democracy and Party Politics - Human Rights - Monarchies/Dictatorships
On August 10, the Tunisian 1 Generation Z group posted the following petition on its official Facebook page: Demanding the Resignation of President Kais Saied and the Holding of Early Presidential and Legislative Elections… (Read More)
United Arab Emirates
Society
"Egyptians working in the UAE saw their residencies annulled while on vacation in their country"  (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)
Arab Diplomacy - Monarchies/Dictatorships
On August 12, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Cairo by its correspondent Tamer Hindawi: Egyptians working in the UAE have revealed that their residency permits were canceled while they were on annual leave in Egypt… (Read More)
 
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