Welcome to Beijing, Mr. President. The Iran war serves as an ominous backdrop to the first China visit by a U.S. president in nine years. While both leaders want the Strait of Hormuz open–China is one of the biggest buyers of oil from the region–how successful will President Trump be in getting China’s Xi Jinping to influence Iran to do just that? Our MBN China Editor, Min Mitchell, explains how the summit is supposed to stabilize the two countries’ relationship, rather than break new ground.
In addition to politics, our MBN Digital Salon series explores what’s happening with the people inside Iran. Jamie Fly, CEO of Freedom House, Caroline Fetscher freelance journalist and former staff writer at Tagesspiegel, MBN’s Roya Hakakian, and Shukriya Bradost from Virginia Tech discuss how Iran’s internet blackout is ruining businesses, why Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last monarch, isn’t gaining traction, what you can do to support the Iranian people.
We also have three MBN exclusives leading our story lineup: What did Washington say to Baghdad about the make-up of its new government? What’s the secret message a high-ranking Iranian delivered to Iraqi-allied factions? And what loopholes is Hezbollah using to create cheap, but lethal drones? Find these answers and more below.
This is the MBN Friday Briefing, the weekly roundup of our best reporting on stories shaping developments in the Middle East and Washington.
The Friday Briefing is also published in Arabic. If you were forwarded this newsletter, subscribe here. We’d love to hear from you at thebriefing@mbn-news.com.
This Week on MBN
Tug of War in Iraq
Iraq’s parliament approved most of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s cabinet, but Iran-linked factions were notably excluded. In an exclusive report, MBN’s Ghassan Taqi says Washington warned Baghdad that militias tied to Tehran shouldn’t have a role in state institutions, stressing that future U.S. engagement will depend on this. Washington’s stark warning came on the heels of an unannounced visit to Baghdad by a senior official of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps. MBN’s Mustafa Saaddon exclusively reports that this visit was intended to preserve militia power and block U.S.-driven reforms.
Read the articles here and here
Hezbollah’s Lethal Cheap Drones
A new battlefield threat has emerged as Hezbollah is deploying cheap, fiber-optic-guided drones that bypass Israeli defenses. These wire-controlled systems, immune to jamming, are reshaping tactics along the southern Lebanon front. An investigation by MBN’s Rami Al Amine reveals that loopholes in customs regulations allowing the importation of items of dual civilian and military purposes have enabled large-scale imports through Beirut and other entry points.
Read the article here
A Rare Frontline View
From the front lines of southern Lebanon, Alhurra correspondent Yehia Qasim reports from Khiam — a town still buried under the scars of war after fierce Israel-Hezbollah fighting and Israeli ground operations. Despite a ceasefire and U.S.-backed diplomacy, destruction remains widespread, tensions are still high, and the border continues to simmer with intermittent fire and displacement.
Watch the video here
Talks under Fire
The first round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel under U.S. sponsorship, April 14. Reuters.
Lebanon approaches a new round of U.S.- brokered talks with Israel as strikes and cross-border attacks intensified. MBN’s Asrar Chbaro explains that Washington is pushing the negotiations forward while Israel wants the fight against Hezbollah to continue. Meanwhile, a potential meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will only occur if there’s a broader ceasefire framework, reports MBN’s Joelle Hajj Moussa.
Read the article here and watch the video here
Pakistan’s Diplomatic Leverage
Pakistan’s rise as a mediator in the Iran crisis wasn’t by chance. It reflects a hard-earned realism shaped by decades of conflict. Islamabad’s ability to engage rivals—from Washington to Tehran—gives it a strategic edge, something Iran lacks, says Muhammad Hassan Ilyas of the Ghamidi Center in MBN Magazine. Years of militant blowback forced Pakistan to curb ideological excess and reassert state control over religion and security. By contrast, Iran’s revolutionary posture only deepened its isolation, driving regional states closer to the United States.
Read the article here
U.S. Expands Counterterrorism Focus
Smoke billows from the World Trade Center after hijacked planes struck the Twin Towers in New York City during the September 11 attacks, September 11, 2001. Reuters.
The Trump administration’s new counterterrorism strategy identifies jihadist organizations as among the gravest threats to the U.S., pledging pressure until they’re destroyed. In a report by MBN’s Abubakar Siddique, the strategy endorses designating Muslim Brotherhood branches as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, while notably omitting militant networks operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Read the article here
Iraqi Oil Flows into Syria
Iraq started transporting oil to Syria’s Banias Refinery through a newly activated land corridor. Tanker trucks are now crossing into Syria as Baghdad seeks alternatives to vulnerable Gulf shipping lanes. In this piece, MBN’s Jwan Ibrahim highlights how regional energy networks are adapting to security shocks. The move underscores a broader shift toward transporting oil via land pipes across the Middle East.
Watch the video here
Closer: Don’t Need China’s Help
“I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other – peacefully or otherwise.”
–President Donald Trump, May 12, 2026
