Welcome back to the MBN Friday Briefing, our roundup of the best stories on our flagship Arabic-language Alhurra platform. Read the Arabic version of this newsletter here. If you were forwarded this Friday Briefing, subscribe here. We’d love to hear from you at thebriefing@mbn-news.com.
MBN’s most popular stories this week highlight one major theme: Washington’s widening pressure campaign. With the ground war at a stalemate, the Trump administration is employing new economic and political tactics in the hopes of bringing Iran and its allies to their knees. From the Gulf and China to Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, this week’s stories show how this new strategy is playing out on the ground — and what might follow next.
The effects of the Trump administration’s bullish tactics are being felt globally. This week, we look at how new U.S. sanctions are squeezing Gulf states and China, while Washington also pushes Iraq to bring militia weapons fully under state control.
In Lebanon, the U.S. is betting on a new security framework to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), even as major questions remain unresolved. And in Syria, the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces opens the door to new roles for key Kurdish leaders inside the state.
This Week on MBN
U.S. Squeezes Gulf States Over Iran
A worker carries a U.S. flag into a meeting room ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 21, 2017. Reuters / Jonathan Ernst
The UAE has backed tougher U.S. sanctions on Iran, even while other Gulf states are taking a more cautious approach. Gulf countries now face a difficult choice between keeping business with Iran and protecting their access to the U.S.-led financial system, reports Sakina Abdallah. Oman is expected to limit some trade with Iran but keep its political and diplomatic channels open, especially given its role as a mediator. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain have not publicly endorsed the new sanctions, with each weighing its own security and economic interests.
The pressure comes as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz grow, putting Gulf trade, energy flows and ties with Iran at greater risk.
Washington’s New Economic Front
A currency dealer counts U.S. dollars in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, August 17. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters.
Washington is opening a new economic front against Iran as direct military operations remain paused. The campaign goes beyond traditional oil and banking sanctions, to now target shipping, digital assets, technology and other financial channels, reports MBN’s Washington Bureau Chief Joe Kawly. The U.S. goal is to limit Tehran’s ability to rebuild its military capabilities and fund regional networks. The measures also target companies and intermediaries in the UAE, China, Singapore and Switzerland that Washington says help Iran evade sanctions. For businesses dealing with Iran, the message is clear: the wider U.S. sanctions become, the greater the financial and commercial risks.
U.S. Sanctions Put China in the Crosshairs
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent takes questions from reporters as he speaks during a press conference in Washington, DC on August 24. / AFP.
Washington is warning Iran’s trading partners that they could face sanctions if they keep doing business with Tehran. The move could put more pressure on China, says MBN’s China Tracker Editor Paul Wang, since it’s the biggest buyer of Iranian oil. It also raises tensions right before Xi Jinping’s planned U.S. visit. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. might even target Chinese banks working with Iran, claiming “no one is above” the sanctions. China warned that new sanctions could worsen the conflict, saying it will protect its interests.
Read the article here and China Tracker here
U.S. Rejects Iraqi Militia Arms Deal
Basra Operations Command Headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces
Washington wants Iraqi factions to hand their weapons directly to the central government, a senior U.S. official tells MBN. The U.S. is pushing back against a reported proposal to have the Popular Mobilization Forces take custody of militia weapons instead. Washington says full state control of weapons is key to protecting Iraq’s sovereignty and stopping Iran-backed groups from launching attacks from Iraqi territory. With the Sept. 30 deadline approaching, Iraqi political factions have yet to agree on how to implement the disarmament, and the deadline could be extended. The dispute comes as Iran steps up its involvement; some factions have begun giving up their weapons and others continue to hold onto them.
U.S. Bets on Deal to Replace UNIFIL
UNIFIL peacekeepers patrol near the southern Lebanese village of Biout es Sayed on July 20, 2026 / AFP.
Washington says it won’t support extending UNIFIL, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, beyond the end of 2026. Instead, the U.S. wants the June 26 Israel-Lebanon security deal to become the new framework for stability in the south. Washington believes the Lebanese army should take over security duties as UNIFIL withdraws, reports Alex Willemyns. But key parts of the deal remain unresolved, including Israel’s withdrawal and plans to disarm Hezbollah.
Lebanon still wants an international presence to monitor the situation and help negotiate between the sides.
Syria’s Deal with SDF Chief
Syrian President Al-Sharaa received Abdi and Ilham Ahmed in Damascus – Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been dissolved as part of a broader deal with Damascus to integrate them into the state, reports MBN’s Jwan Ibrahim. The agreement also appears to have paved the way for new roles for key Kurdish leaders within Syria’s government. Mazloum Abdi is expected to become a presidential adviser on Kurdish affairs, while Ilham Ahmed could take a role in Parliament. The deal also keeps Kurdish SDF personnel in charge of border security in predominantly Kurdish areas after they join the state forces. The moves mark a major step in Damascus’ effort to bring Kurdish institutions and forces under the Syrian state.
Quote of the Week: Economic Warfare
America will not achieve anything with economic pressure at this stage, just as it was unable to achieve anything in the war.
–Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to ISNA news agency, Aug. 26, 2026
