Accessibility links
Middle East Middle East news, arts, culture, and politics. Updates on Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Iran, OPEC, and the Persian Gulf states NPR streaming audio. Subscribe to the Middle East RSS feed.

Middle East

The U.S. lost track of why it was in Afghanistan, former commander says

Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie testifies during a hearing before Senate Armed Services Committee in September, 2021. The committee held the hearing "to receive testimony on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations." Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Alex Wong/Getty Images

The U.S. lost track of why it was in Afghanistan, former commander says

Recently retired General Frank McKenzie reflects on the withdrawal from Afghanistan, who bears responsibility for the way it unfolded, and how the U.S. "lost track" of why it was in the country.

The U.S. lost track of why it was in Afghanistan, former commander says

Listen · 8:07
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1116408785/1116410286" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Inside a TV news station determined to report facts in the Taliban's Afghanistan

A man works on the evening broadcast from TOLOnews, Afghanistan's first 24/7 new channel. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Claire Harbage/NPR

Inside a TV news station determined to report facts in the Taliban's Afghanistan

Once a mortal threat, the Taliban have let Afghanistan's leading news channel stand. But every day is a struggle for the journalists who still work there.

Inside a TV news station determined to report facts in the Taliban's Afghanistan

Listen · 7:12
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1116271300/1116390200" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Hamid Karzai stays on in Afghanistan — hoping for the best, but unable to leave

Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai says the Taliban have to correct their mistakes in the country, as does the United States. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Claire Harbage/NPR

Hamid Karzai stays on in Afghanistan — hoping for the best, but unable to leave

When the Taliban reclaimed Kabul last August, the U.S.-backed government collapsed and hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled the country. Former president Hamid Karzai was not one of them.

Hamid Karzai stays on in Afghanistan — hoping for the best, but unable to leave

Listen · 8:55
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1115674232/1116264220" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Palestinian pop singer Bashar Murad struggles for freedom and equality on two fronts

Palestinian musician Bashar Murad works at a recording studio in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem November 19, 2018. AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS hide caption

toggle caption
AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS

Consider This from NPR

Palestinian pop singer Bashar Murad struggles for freedom and equality on two fronts

Bashar Murad's danceable riffs and live concerts and videos - filled with bubbles, enormous hats, and layers and layers of veils - have earned him the nickname "Palestinian Lady Gaga" from his fans. And much like Born This Way is an anthem of equality, Murad's songs challenge conservative social norms and push for LGBTQ rights while also challenging the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Earlier this summer, Murad's concert in the West Bank city of Ramallah was cancelled under threats by anti-LGBTQ activists. As an outspoken proponent of LGBTQ rights, Murad is challenging both the external conflict Palestinians face with Israel and the internal conflicts imposed by a conservative society. This week, NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks with Bashar Murad about his music, his activism, and how anti-LGBTQ events that unfolded during the summer have added to the complexities that can come with being a voice for both the Palestinian and the LGBTQ communities.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.This episode was reported by Daniel Estrin. It was produced by Miranda Mazariegos and edited by Jeanette Woods and Larry Kaplow. Our executive producer is Natalie Winston. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Palestinian pop singer Bashar Murad struggles for freedom and equality on two fronts

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1116157913/1116196002" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
We visited a Taliban leader's compound to examine his vision for Afghanistan

Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, a Taliban leader, is Afghanistan's interim defense minister. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Claire Harbage/NPR

We visited a Taliban leader's compound to examine his vision for Afghanistan

On the day a U.S. drone strike killed the leader of al-Qaida in Afghanistan, NPR sat down for an interview with the man in charge of the country's defense.

We visited a Taliban leader's compound to examine his vision for Afghanistan

Listen · 11:11
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1115388675/1115859439" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Opinion: What Ayman al-Zawahiri's death means for al-Qaida's future

In this 1998 file photo, Ayman al-Zawahiri (left) holds a press conference with Osama bin Laden in Khost, Afghanistan. Zawahiri succeeded bin Laden as al-Qaida's leader following the 2011 U.S. raid that killed bin Laden in Pakistan. Mazhar Ali Khan/Associated Press hide caption

toggle caption
Mazhar Ali Khan/Associated Press

Opinion

Opinion: What Ayman al-Zawahiri's death means for al-Qaida's future

Zawahiri's death places al-Qaida in a precarious position, argues Colin P. Clarke of the Soufan Center. The question of succession will help shape al-Qaida now — and it may prove divisive.

Protesters camp out in Iraq's Parliament building as a power struggle unfolds

Iraqi protesters rest inside the Parliament building in Baghdad on Sunday. Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric stormed into the building on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts led by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. Anmar Khalil/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Anmar Khalil/AP

Protesters camp out in Iraq's Parliament building as a power struggle unfolds

Followers of an influential cleric have pledged to continue the sit-in to derail efforts from Iran-backed groups to form the country's next government.

Who is Viktor Bout, the prisoner the U.S. may trade for Brittney Griner?

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is shown in custody in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2008. Bout was later extradited to the U.S. and convicted of conspiring to kill Americans. He's serving a 25-year sentence, but he may be part of a prisoner swap the U.S. and Russia are trying to negotiate. Chumsak Kanoknan/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Chumsak Kanoknan/Getty Images

World

Who is Viktor Bout, the prisoner the U.S. may trade for Brittney Griner?

Bout is a Russian who was the world's most notorious arms dealer in the 1990s and early 2000s. He's serving a 25-year prison sentence in Illinois, but could be freed as part of a U.S.-Russia swap.

A 105-mile-long city will snake through the Saudi desert. Is that a good idea?

The Line is an ambitious part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan to diversify the kingdom's economy and remake part of its geography. Screenshot by NPR/NEOM hide caption

toggle caption
Screenshot by NPR/NEOM

A 105-mile-long city will snake through the Saudi desert. Is that a good idea?

The futuristic, walled city in the desert will have a mirrored facade and will use renewable energy. Known as The Line, it will be taller than the Empire State Building and only about 220 yards wide.

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank gun battle

A Palestinian boy inspects the damage to a house after Palestinian gunmen were killed in an early morning Israeli military raid in the Old City of Nablus in the West Bank, Sunday, July 24, 2022. Majdi Mohammed/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Majdi Mohammed/AP

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank gun battle

Israeli troops and special forces on an arrest mission exchanged fire with Palestinians barricaded in a house in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli police said.

Former U.N. 'relief chief' shares his secret for coping with crises: a 'sunny gene'

Sir Mark Lowcock, the former head of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has written a memoir, Relief Chief: A Manifesto for Saving Lives in Dire Times. In 2017, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath for his work in international development. Thierry Roge/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Thierry Roge/AFP via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

Former U.N. 'relief chief' shares his secret for coping with crises: a 'sunny gene'

From 2017 to 2021, Sir Mark Lowcock was the U.N.'s "relief chief," the world's most senior humanitarian official. He talks to NPR about what inspired him and why crises are getting worse.

Biden avoids a handshake with Saudi crown prince, but fist bump doesn't go over well

In this photo released by the Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Biden bump fists as they begin meetings in Jeddah. Saudi Press Agency/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Saudi Press Agency/AP

Biden avoids a handshake with Saudi crown prince, but fist bump doesn't go over well

Sidestepping the bad optics of a handshake with the crown prince deemed to have approved the operation that led to the death of Jamal Khashoggi, President Biden opted for a fist bump.

Will he or won't he? Watchful eyes are on Biden's handshakes on his Middle East trip

President Biden is welcomed at King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. He was later greeted by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Politics

Will he or won't he? Watchful eyes are on Biden's handshakes on his Middle East trip

On Friday, the president shared a fist-bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. One day earlier, an Israeli singer declined President Biden's hand.

Biden says the U.S. will work to improve Palestinians' lives

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in east Jerusalem on Friday. Biden announced a U.S. investment of $100 million for a network of hospitals. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Evan Vucci/AP

Biden says the U.S. will work to improve Palestinians' lives

President Biden says that he's committed to the two-state solution for Israel and an independent Palestinian state. But with that goal out of reach, he said, the U.S. will look to help Palestinians.

Biden stops short of saying he will raise Khashoggi's killing in Saudi Arabia

President Biden says he always talks about human rights abroad. But he stopped short of saying he would raise the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi when he meets Saudi leaders on Friday. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Evan Vucci/AP

Biden stops short of saying he will raise Khashoggi's killing in Saudi Arabia

President Biden said "I always bring up human rights" on foreign trips, but stopped short of saying he would raise the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi when he meets Saudi leaders.

Biden tries fist bumps instead of handshakes ahead of Saudi crown prince meeting

On this trip, the White House says President Biden will try to reduce physical contact as a COVID-19 precaution, meaning fist-pumps replaced handshakes on the red carpet when he arrived. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Politics

Biden tries fist bumps instead of handshakes ahead of Saudi crown prince meeting

The White House says Biden is trying to limit physical contact during his trip to the Middle East because of COVID risks. But it's a decision that comes conveniently ahead of an awkward meeting.

Browse archive or search npr.org