Welcome back to the Friday Briefing, our weekly round-up of MBN’s best reporting that drove the news in the Middle East and the U.S.
The Gaza Peace Plan is having a moment this week, and naturally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has something to say about it. He is tying the next phase of the plan to Gaza’s demilitarization-his must-have before any economic rebuilding of the strip. Will Bibi get his way?
A month after the protests began, Iran has gradually emerged from its self-imposed information darkness, with the death toll reaching a shocking 6,221 people. In neighboring Iraq, the ruling bloc nominated a staunch supporter of Iran as the country’s next prime minister, much to the U.S.’s chagrin. Further south, a planned sale of fighter jets would give the Saudis a new best friend. Guess who’s partnering with Pakistan on this deal? Speaking of the Far East, MBN’s China Tracker examines how Beijing is pursuing its own state-led version of soft power. Finally, Aya Elbaz explains what’s causing the crazy gold rush this month, as prices surge 64% to a whopping $5,110.50 per ounce! If you haven’t invested yet, don’t worry. Goldman Sachs predicts that prices will soar even higher.
These and other stories are available for you in both English and Arabic on MBN’s website.
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This Week on MBN
Netanyahu’s Red Flag
As the U.S. moves to implement its Gaza peace plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is adamant that phase two is focused exclusively on demilitarization and Hamas dismantlement before discussing Gaza governance or reconstruction. MBN’s Yehia Kassem explains that U.S. envoys are now coaxing Israel to accept a new framework, total dismantlement of Hamas, in return for a governing board that includes Turkey and Qatar.
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.
Kobani’s Lost
The U.S. stepped aside, leaving Syria’s Kurds to fend for themselves. After a ten-day siege by Syrian forces and shelling from Turkey, the symbolic and much-coveted city of Kobani in northeastern Syria faces a humanitarian catastrophe. MBN’s Dalshad Hussein reports.
Read the article here
Iraq’s Leadership Reset
Iraq’s parliament is about to elect a new president and nominate former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki for another term. Ghassan Taqi explains that the transition could redefine who has more influence over Baghdad-Washington or Tehran-during this critical regional juncture.
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.
ISIS Transfer Plan
Baghdad is preparing to receive around 7,000 ISIS detainees from shuttered facilities in northeastern Syria. Security sources tell Rasha Ibrahim that weak detention systems could enable ISIS fighters to reintegrate into regional militias.
Read the article here
Chinese Tech Support…in Iran?
Beijing and Tehran are deepening security cooperation to bolster Iran’s domestic repression capabilities. MBN’s Ezat Wagdy reports that Iranian officers are being trained in China on surveillance-driven crowd control, while trade data shows a sharp rise in high-value Chinese facial recognition systems exported to Iran.
Read the article here
Saudi-UAE Cold Peace
After its decisive military action against UAE-supported factions in southern Yemen, Riyadh is shifting to a managed containment of disputes with Abu Dhabi. Analysts tell MBN’s Sakina Abdallah that a cold-peace model is emerging as Gulf states recalibrate power and posture during Iran’s regional decline.
Read the article here
Age of Convoluted Uncertainty
Drawing on insights from 1,300 experts, a World Economic Forum report
cautions that geopolitical tensions, economic instability, and climate shocks are increasingly overlapping and reinforcing one another. The report, as Randa Jebai explains, warns that governments are losing their ability to anticipate and manage these interconnected risks.
Watch the video here
The 2026 Gold Rush
Gold surged to a historic $5,110.50 per ounce amid an accelerating global safe-haven rush. Aya Elbaz explains in this video that tariffs, currency instability, and geopolitical uncertainty are among the reasons driving investors away from traditional assets.
Watch the video here
Closer
“Gaza is not an empty land to be redrawn on a map. Ignoring ownership risks turning reconstruction into indirect expropriation.”
— An Arab League Diplomat.
Read the full story here
