Welcome back to the Friday Briefing, our weekly round-up of MBN’s best reporting about the events that drove the news in the Middle East and the U.S.
This week, we examine the aftermath of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protestors and the cost in human lives. Iran’s calculated information blackout has been the government’s way of obfuscating the story, brutalizing dissidents, and hiding crimes. Despite the fear and carnage, some brave voices from inside the country spoke to MBN, detailing unimaginable horror and tragedy. Read their full testimonies. To learn more, MBN’s Iran Briefing brings you up to speed.
Next up: soft power, or the ability to persuade through attraction rather than coercion; it’s been a staple of America’s foreign policy playbook for decades. But today, as Jim Snyder explains, Beijing is pursuing its own state-led version of this tactic. Through education, media partnerships, and cultural institutions, China is attempting to spread its top-down influence faster than a viral Taylor Swift song. Not as much fun, but just as effective. Check the full story on MBN’s China Tracker.
And finally, we examine decisions that are quietly reshaping the region, with recent U.S. positions on Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon forcing new lines in the sand. In northeast Syria, the U.S. stepped aside and allowed for a forced Kurdish rollback. In Gaza, the US-designed peace plan has Washington steamrolling over hurdles and objections. And in Beirut, a U.S. Congressman delivers a stern message. The MBN Agenda brings you exclusive details and expert perspectives.
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
Trump’s Doctrine
We’re one year into President Donald Trump’s second term, and foreign policy has been at the top of the radar. Trump’s strategy appears, well, personal. It’s built on instinct, transactional deal-making, and leverage–business skills straight out of The Apprentice. MBN’s Karim Kazem and Ringo Harrison report that from Gaza and Iran to Ukraine and Greenland, decisions prioritize power.
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.
Trump’s Gaza Plan Triggers Israeli Shockwaves
Phase Two of the Gaza Peace Plan has arrived, with President Trump and his envoy, Steve Witkoff, announcing the executive framework of the Peace Council along with a Palestinian technocratic government to oversee Gaza in the “day after” phase. MBN’s Jerusalem correspondent Yehia Kassem explains how the move has raised serious concerns and opened up a sharp rift within Israel.
Read the article here
A New Middle Eastern Triangle
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey are exploring a trilateral defense framework. But could three become a crowd? Observers tell MBN’s Sakina Abdallah that if formalized, the pact could recalibrate regional security dynamics, with implications extending beyond Iran to include Gulf rivalries and Western partnerships.
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.
MBS’s Gambit in Yemen
Saudi Arabia is expanding its footprint in Yemen’s Hadramout, sidelining Emirati-aligned actors. MBN’s Ezat Wagdi questions whether the increased Saudi involvement will secure stability or gradually transform into political guardianship over a region asserting its own right to self-determination.
Read the article here
Syrian Democratic Forces’ Defeat: Settlement or Rule of Fear?
MBN’s Rami Al Amine examines in this video whether the military weakening of the Syrian Democratic Forces has created an opening for a nationwide political settlement under Ahmad al-Sharaa.
It weighs the prospects for Syrian reunification and inclusive governance against the risk of a new order built on coercion and intimidation.
Watch the video here
From Tehran to Beverly Hills
The Los Angeles Iranian Jews are among the most affluent and influential diaspora communities in the world. They had lived in Iran for 2700 years until they were forced out after the Islamic revolution of 1979. Through personal narratives, MBN’s Randa Jebai tells their story of displacement, identity reinvention, and nostalgia.
Read the article here
The Myth of “Scientific Miracles” in the Qur’an
In this week’s episode on MBN’s Alhurra platform, Ibrahim Essa takes a direct, critical approach to claims that the Qur’an contains modern scientific discoveries. He traces how the discourse of “scientific miracles” emerged and gained traction in contemporary Arabic thought.
Watch the video here
Closer
“It is a mutual veto dressed up as a transition plan. Hamas will not disarm without guarantees Israel will not give, and Israel will not withdraw without disarmament Hamas will not accept.”
— A European diplomat on the Gaza peace plan. Read the full story
