We’re ending our week talking about China. Beijing flaunted its ties to Iran by hosting the country’s top diplomat a week ahead of President Donald Trump and China leader Xi Jinping’s expected summit. Lucky for MBN readers, we have all you need to know about China’s emerging influence in the Middle East packaged in our first ever Global Powers Index. Please delve into this data-driven, heavily reported graphics report (and story) that examines China’s expanding reach throughout the Middle East–and compares it to what’s happening stateside in the U.S.
Next up, we have Roya Hakakian exploring more cultural gems in her Founding Encounters series. Her latest piece takes you back to 1805 for the little-known story of America’s first attempt to change a foreign regime. Then we delve into a Saudi request the Trump administration turned down, and a surprising change of course in Baghdad. We also head to Venice, where Iranian filmmakers are finding ways around censorship.
Welcome back to the MBN Friday Briefing, our roundup of the best stories on our flagship Arabic-language Alhurra platform, which is also available in English. 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.
This Week on MBN
China’s MENA Power Play
Chinese President Xi Jinping is welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, Sept. 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Pool
MBN has launched the Great Powers Index, tracking U.S. and Chinese influence across five key areas. Jim Snyder and Zhou Yu analyze the data with a story revealing that China now has closer ties than the U.S. with 12 of the 23 MENA countries we tracked — up from nine countries a decade ago. China’s trade with MENA hit $510B in 2025, in addition to its 468 Belt and Road projects. China’s soft power is growing too: It boasts 314 weekly direct flights to MENA, 29 Confucius Institutes, and 31 media partnerships. The U.S. still dominates security, but China is rapidly becoming a power that MENA countries cannot afford to ignore.
Read the article here and explore the index here
Great Powers Index: Our Data
The Great Powers Index measures U.S. and Chinese influence across five categories: military, economy, technology, soft power and diplomacy. Military and economic engagement receive the greatest weight, followed by technology, soft power and diplomacy. The index also assigns each MENA nation an engagement score showing where China and the U.S. are competing most intensely for influence. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, two of the region’s largest economies, rank highest for engagement. Please check out our detailed graphics!
Read more about the methodology here
America’s First Regime-Change
In this episode of MBN’s Founding Encounters, Roya Hakakian takes us back to 1805, when American diplomat William Eaton led a small, unlikely force across the Libyan desert to challenge Tripoli’s ruler.
The mission captured Derna, marking the first time U.S. Marines seized territory overseas — But Eaton’s bigger plan to change the regime ultimately fell apart. Washington chose negotiation instead and secured the release of American prisoners. The episode shows how this early clash over piracy, tribute, diplomacy and military force helped shape America’s approach to power abroad.
Listed to the podcast here and read the article here
Why Trump Said No to MBS
U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman interact during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., United States, Nov. 19, 2025. Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked President Trump to help launch direct strikes against the Houthis, but Washington declined, offering intelligence and support instead while leaving Saudi Arabia to take the lead. The Trump administration wants to preserve its 2025 truce with the Houthis and avoid opening another military front, reports Hani al-Farash. The stakes are high, as Houthi control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could disrupt global shipping, threaten energy supplies and push oil prices higher. For now, Washington says it will protect U.S. interests and freedom of navigation while relying on regional partners to confront the growing threat.
Read the article here
Iraq Backs Down on Faction Disarmament
Members of an Iran-backed Iraqi armed faction in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 4, 2024. Reuters/Ahmed Saad
Iraq’s government is backing away from its Sept. 30 deadline to disarm armed factions, sources familiar with the talks told Alhurra. Instead, Baghdad is considering treating the date as the start of a longer process to regulate faction weapons rather than require them to be surrendered. The factions are seeking guarantees against U.S. or government strikes in return for accepting limits on how their weapons are moved and
Read the article here
Cinema’s Two Faces
Iranian actress Laleh Marzban, winner of the Orizzonti Award for Best Actress for her part in “Moragheb” (Falling House) at the 83rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on Sept.12, 2026 (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Iranian filmmakers are finding creative ways to tell stories despite strict government censorship. Two films at the Venice Film Festival reveal the growing gap between official rules and reality in Iran, reports Tara Rad. Mohsen Gharaei says he used a “fake script” to get permission for Falling House, then made the film he actually wanted. The film sparked controversy after actress Laleh Marzban appeared without the mandatory hijab — and later won Venice’s best-actress award. The two films show how Iran’s official and underground cinemas are increasingly overlapping, while filmmakers rely on international festivals to tell stories they cannot freely tell at home.
Read the article here
Quote of the Week: A Different Phase
We can’t predict the future, but I think the president is right to say that this [Iran war] will enter a much different phase in a couple of months.
—Vice President JD Vance, interview with The New York Post, Sept.15, 2026.
