Welcome back to the MBN Friday Briefing, our weekly round-up of our best stories that drove the news in the Middle East.
You’ve seen one country dominating headlines this week: Iran. The massive anti-government protests in over 100 cities started when Tehran bazaar shopkeepers went on strike after the rial plunged to an all-time low against the dollar. Prices tripled, inflation soared and merchants couldn’t buy and sell goods normally. MBN takes you inside the Iranian government’s deadly response and examines Iran’s telecommunications blackout to prevent people from organizing or outsiders from knowing exactly what’s happening.
But things look different today than the reformist movements of 2009 and 2022. We bring you a closer look at the current unrest, which is broader than in years’ past with protestors intent on regime change as many feel they have nothing left to lose. What would an Iran implosion mean for the jittery Gulf monarchies or for Iran’s nervous proxies in Iraq and Lebanon? We’ll get you up to speed.
MBN’s resident experts give us the lowdown on whether Russia and China will abandon Iran, while our MBN Agenda monitors the reaction in Washington. And don’t forget to check out the MBN Iran Briefing’s “Protest Watch” which calculates the human cost of the uprising.
The Friday Briefing is also published in Arabic. If you were forwarded this newsletter, subscribe here. We want to hear from you at thebriefing@mbn-news.com.
This Week on MBN
Point of No Return
Writing for the MBN Magazine, exiled journalist and activist, Mahtab Qolizadeh, believes this current Iranian uprising signals a decisive shift. In a stark contrast to previous waves of protests, this time around activists are no longer seeking reform but an end to the Mullah’s rule.
Read the article here
MBN Iran Briefing:
Andres Ilves’ weekly reporting and understanding of what’s going on in Tehran and its impact on the wider world.
Khamenei’s Hometown Loss
Protests in the city of Mashhad – one of Iran’s most revered religious centers and the hometown of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – carry an exceptional symbolic charge. Dissent in this conservative stronghold, argues MBN’s Randa Jebai, signals a rupture between the Islamic Republic and the clerical-religious base that once gave it authority and legitimacy.
Read the article here
Aftershocks in Lebanon and Iraq
Tehran’s potential fall could have grave implications for allies in Lebanon and Iraq. In this video, MBN’s Rami Al Amine argues that while Iraq’s factions may survive a weakened Iran, Hezbollah faces a legitimacy and identity collapse if Tehran’s clerical core breaks.
Watch the video here
The Gulf’s New Anxiety
As Iran was gripped by massive protests, the Gulf’s thinking shifted from long-held hostility toward the Islamic Republic to fear of a dangerous power vacuum. MBN’s Sakina Abdallah reports that the region’s leaders are anxious as they consider the fallout of a regime change across the water.
Read the article here
MBN Magazine:
Features, debates and analysis on the Middle East from unique voices. You won’t find these stories anywhere else.
An Israeli Intel Forecast
Israel’s intelligence community is carefully watching developments in Iran. In this video interview, MBN’s Yehia Kassem talks to Amos Gilad, former Israeli intel research chief, about what implications the potential demise of the Iranian regime holds for Israel’s regional interests.
Watch the video here
Religious Heritage On Trail
In this week’s program on MBN’s Alhurra platform, journalist Ibrahim Issa examines the contradictions over religious heritage – some treat it as a bedrock to identity while others see it as an obstacle to modernity. One question remains at the core: can inherited interpretations coexist with 21st-century institutions?
Read the article here
Gen Z’s Resilience Trap
There’s a boom in the so-called resilience training across the Middle East for Gen Z youth. MBN’s Aya Elbaz wonders if this is a viable solution to corporate burnout or just a company workaround for unhealthy systems? In her video, Elbaz portrays a collision between productivity culture and a workforce that prioritizes mental health.
Watch the video here
Closer
“If I were Khamenei, I would be deeply unsettled by the way my image circulates now. Not as an icon, but as a meme. Reduced. Distorted. Miniaturized.”
— Joumana Haddad, writing in the MBN Magazine, “If I were Khamenei.”
