May 18 Saudi Arabia working to impress Trump in the president’s first overseas visit By Aya Batrawy, Associated Press Saudi Arabia is making every effort to dazzle and impress President Donald Trump on his first overseas trip, seizing on the visit to cement itself as a major player on the world stage and shove aside rival Iran. Continue reading
May 17 U.S. extends Obama-era sanctions relief for Iran, but imposes other sanctions By Josh Lederman, Associated Press Under the 2015 deal, sanctions punishing Iran for its nuclear program were waived in exchange for Iran's commitment to roll back the program. But continuing the sanctions relief requires the renewal of a six-month waiver. Continue reading
May 15 Erdogan visits Trump, amid friction between U.S., Turkey By Josh Lederman and Vivian Salama, Associated Press When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits the White House on Tuesday, the most he and President Donald Trump may be able to do is agree to disagree, and move on. Continue reading
Mar 21 Watch 5:46 What sparked a new carry-on electronics ban on some flights? By PBS News Hour Passengers flying out of 10 specific airports in the Middle East can no longer take large electronic devices in their carry-on luggage, according to a new rule from the Department of Homeland Security. The British announced a similar rule, but… Continue watching
Jan 13 Watch 19:16 Obama leaves complicated legacy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria By PBS News Hour President Obama came into office with a desire to wind down America’s wars overseas. Today the Middle East is a far more volatile place than it was. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner reports and Judy Woodruff gets an assessment… Continue watching
Dec 26 Watch 6:00 A prominent Israeli author reflects on the country’s founding — and future By PBS News Hour Amos Oz grew up in Israel in the early years of its statehood. Now, in his first book in over a decade, the writer looks back at that time through the eyes of three characters -- each at a different… Continue watching
Dec 01 Watch 5:33 The deals and rhetoric behind the U.S. relationship with Iran By PBS News Hour In his new book, “The Iran Wars: Spy Games, Bank Battles and the Secret Deals that Reshaped the Middle East,” The Wall Street Journal's Jay Solomon discusses the U.S. power struggle with Iran, including the Obama administration’s nuclear deal and… Continue watching
Dec 01 Senate votes unanimously to renew Iran sanctions law By Richard Lardner, Associated Press The Senate moved decisively Thursday to renew a decades-old sanctions law that lawmakers said gives the United States the clout to punish Iran should it fail to live up to the terms of the landmark nuclear deal. Continue reading
Nov 30 Watch 9:00 Can a task force of foreign policy experts spark change in the Middle East? By PBS News Hour As chairs of the Middle East Strategy Task Force, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley are leading a bipartisan effort to stabilize one of the world's most volatile regions. Albright and Hadley join… Continue watching
Sep 30 Watch Understanding the rise of the Islamic State By PBS News Hour As a young man, Lawrence Wright first visited the Middle East when he taught English in Cairo. He has spent much of his life since reporting on the region -- documenting culture by sharing the stories of individuals. His new… Continue watching