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Allies Pull Trump Apart on Iran
Washington is receiving sharply conflicting messages from Israel and Saudi Arabia as President Trump weighs military action against Iran. A former Gulf diplomat told MBN’s Joe Kawly that what’s unfolding in D.C. is not coordination but competition. “Everyone agrees Iran is weaker than it was,” he said. “The fight now is over whether you finish the job with force,…
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Iran Strikes: Law, Intelligence, and the Target Debate
As President Donald Trump weighs military action against Iran, the debate inside Washington is less about authorization than framing. A senior State Department official told MBN there is no clear congressional mandate for a strike, but that the administration is reviewing options that would not require one. “We’re looking at the legal and political dimensions…
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Intense Saudi Moves in Washington to De-escalate Tensions with Iran
At a highly critical sensitive regional juncture, Saudi Arabia has stepped up its diplomatic activity in Washington, seeking to push toward a negotiated track with Iran, amid a growing U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to carry out potential strikes against the Islamic Republic. Saudi Defense Minister…
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U.S. Destroyer in Eilat: Signals that a Decision on Iran May Be Near
The arrival of the U.S. destroyer DELBERT D. BLACK at the port of Eilat does not appear to be merely a routine military visit, despite official assurances that it is a pre-planned activity within the framework of cooperation between the Israeli and U.S. militaries, according to military sources cited by Alhurra. The destroyer, an Arleigh…
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Exclusive to Alhurra: Washington Weighs Striking Iran without Authorization
As U.S. President Donald Trump considers launching military strikes against Iran, the U.S. administration is keeping the legal basis for any potential action deliberately open-ended—subject to interpretation and not definitively settled. A senior official at the U.S. State Department told Alhurra that although there is no explicit authorization from Congress, “all options remain on the…
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“The Al-Maliki Problem”: Two Options Facing Iraqi Leaders After Trump’s Threats
The process of forming Iraq’s new government has grown more complicated after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was opposed to the return of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to power—a move that has placed the election’s winning forces in an “extremely awkward position,” according to a parliamentary source who spoke to Alhurra. On Tuesday,…
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Why Do Gulf States Want to Spare Iran from a U.S. Strike?
Signs are mounting that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is moving closer to the option of launching a strike against Iran, while Gulf states are engaging in diplomatic efforts to keep themselves out of the circle of direct confrontation. Anxiety has risen in several regional capitals following Trump’s talk of a “fleet” heading toward the…
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I Am in “Tehrangeles”: My Journey Between the Camera and the Heart
My trip from Washington to Los Angeles was not merely a journalistic assignment. It was a complete human experience—one that carried me from the cold, political climate of the capital to the warmth of a city that resembles a mosaic of cultures, wealth, and contradictions. Six hours in the air, during which I organized my…
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Syrians in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region: Safety until Further Notice
Anas — a pseudonym for a Syrian man in his late twenties — still recalls five days of anxiety he endured earlier this month after several Syrian refugees were dismissed from their jobs in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, amid fighting that erupted in Aleppo between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).…
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Iranian Repression, with a Chinese Flavor
The protests that have swept through Iran’s streets since late last December recall the wave of anger that erupted after the death of the Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in 2022—albeit with a clear difference in momentum and, more notably, in the methods used to suppress protesters. Following the 2022 protests, authorities announced that they would…