Politics

Explainer| What is the Strait of Hormuz, and why its closure matters to Egypt?

Politics_

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has raised fears of a wider regional crisis. But why is the narrow waterway so critical to global trade and energy supplies?

Youssef Ebrahem_ 5-3-2026

Explainer| What is the Strait of Hormuz, and why its closure matters to Egypt?

Iran and the Gulf’s balancing act under Washington’s shadow

Politics_

With Iran targeting US bases and Gulf skies on edge, regional capitals recalibrate. Wary of war, wary of Tehran, and still tethered to Washington.

Gasser El-Dabea_ 4-3-2026

Iran and the Gulf’s balancing act under Washington’s shadow

External war, internal fractures: A separatist moment for Iran?

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As US-Israeli strikes intensify, Iran faces rising separatist mobilization at home, reviving ethnic fault lines and testing the state’s cohesion in a volatile post-Khamenei moment

Mohamed Khairy_ 3-3-2026

External war, internal fractures: A separatist moment for Iran?

The shadowed debut of Egypt’s Minister of Culture

Politics_

Jihan Zaki vowed to "erase ugliness," but her debut as Culture Minister is being eclipsed by a messy portrait of "ghost" tenures, asset dramas, and a stinging court ruling

Abdel Halim Hefaina_ 24-2-2026

The shadowed debut of Egypt’s Minister of Culture

Parliament Diaries| A rare consensus on import reform

Politics_

The House moves to replace prison sentences with financial fines, sending a message of "reassurance" to a private sector under currency pressure.

Enas Hussein_ 18-2-2026

Parliament Diaries| A rare consensus on import reform

Jasper Jeffers: The quiet manager of loud wars

Politics_

Fronting an ISF that monitors violations, shields Israel, and institutionalizes asymmetry, Jeffers’ rise in Gaza exports Lebanon’s “managed tension” model to a besieged strip.

Ahmed Hosny_ 18-2-2026

Jasper Jeffers: The quiet manager of loud wars

Al Manassa, rights groups set accountability deadline for AppLogic

Politics_

Al Manassa and rights groups set a Feb. 26 deadline for AppLogic to explain its role in Egypt’s digital crackdown, demanding 1% of profits go to the journalists and outlets harmed.

Al Manassa_ 15-2-2026

Al Manassa, rights groups set accountability deadline for AppLogic

Hussein Eissa: An economist to secure the prime minister’s survival

Politics_

Egypt’s cabinet reshuffle elevates Hussein Eissa to deputy PM for economic affairs, signaling a push to revive privatization, rein in debt, and steady IMF talks.

Mohamed Ibrahim_ 12-2-2026

Hussein Eissa: An economist to secure the prime minister’s survival

Explainer| Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi assassinated. Who wanted him gone, and what happens next?

Politics_

Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former ruler, was assassinated in Zintan, reigniting rivalries and raising urgent questions about the nation’s fractured future.

Eli Siegel-Bernstein_ 7-2-2026

Explainer| Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi assassinated. Who wanted him gone, and what happens next?

Interview| Iran’s envoy in Cairo on protests, sanctions, and why “we are not Venezuela or Iraq”

Politics_

Iran’s envoy in Cairo tells Al Manassa protests began over inflation, then “chaos” followed. He blames foreign infiltrators, and defends the internet blackout.

Enjy Abdel Wahab_ 28-1-2026

Interview| Iran’s envoy in Cairo on protests, sanctions, and why “we are not Venezuela or Iraq”

Explainer| Can the Kurds really be a part of the new Syria, and on whose terms?

Politics_

Syria's army battles Kurdish-led forces as the new government pushes for centralized control against demands for autonomy. Fragile ceasefires keep collapsing over this core divide.

Eli Siegel-Bernstein_ 22-1-2026

Explainer| Can the Kurds really be a part of the new Syria, and on whose terms?

Mapping the Muslim Brotherhood’s options: Reform or rupture

Politics_

Criminalization, regional pressure and internal fracture leave the Muslim Brotherhood confronting a question of survival—or reinvention.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_ 19-1-2026

Mapping the Muslim Brotherhood’s options: Reform or rupture

Red Sea fault lines: Can Cairo-Riyadh counterbalance the Zionist-Emirati alliance?

Politics_

The Cairo-Riyadh alignment on Yemen and Sudan is no fleeting overlap; but a strategic strike against Israel’s blueprint to re-engineer the existing Middle Eastern order.

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafeez_ 15-1-2026

Red Sea fault lines: Can Cairo-Riyadh counterbalance the Zionist-Emirati alliance?

Hisham Badawi: From secret keeper to House speaker

Politics_

Once the state’s silent enforcer, Hisham Badawi now leads the legislature. Can a keeper of secrets hold power to account?

Mohamed Napolion_ 14-1-2026

Hisham Badawi: From secret keeper to House speaker

Netanyahu’s Somaliland gamble: Israel’s new frontier in the Horn of Africa

Politics_

To effectively defend the interests of Egypt and other affected regional states, political leaders cannot rely on the UN Security Council

Mohamed Bassal_ 4-1-2026

Netanyahu’s Somaliland gamble: Israel’s new frontier in the Horn of Africa

Saudi-UAE rift over Yemen exposes deeper gulf power struggle

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UAE says it will withdraw remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia struck Mukalla. Egypt is likely to mediate for preserving what remains of Arab cohesion in a fragile region

Mohamed El Kholy_ 31-12-2025

Saudi-UAE rift over Yemen exposes deeper gulf power struggle

The UAE's secret $2.3B bet on Israeli missile tech

Politics_

UAE's $2.3B secret deal with Israel's Elbit for J-MUSIC anti-missile tech exposes deepening ties despite Gaza backlash. From civilian jets to Sudan proxies, it fuels Emirati power

Eli Siegel-Bernstein_ 30-12-2025

The UAE's secret $2.3B bet on Israeli missile tech

The Inside Story of The Power Struggle within Hamas: Meshaal’s pragmatism VS Al-Hayya’s rifle

Politics_

Exclusive sources tell Al Manassa that Hamas’ Shura Council is heading into a January 2026 showdown over leadership, Iran ties and the future of the armed struggle.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_ 29-12-2025

The Inside Story of The Power Struggle within Hamas: Meshaal’s pragmatism VS Al-Hayya’s rifle

Maritime fault lines: Libya’s gas diplomacy tests Egypt-Turkey thaw

Politics_

Libya’s maritime dispute with Turkey resurfaces as Egypt and Greece push back. Cairo eyes energy dominance, while Tripoli navigates fragile alliances and legal dilemmas.

Ahmed Albordeny_ 22-12-2025

Maritime fault lines: Libya’s gas diplomacy tests Egypt-Turkey thaw

Ghassan Al-Dahini and the recycling of chaos in Gaza

Politics_

From jihadist to Israeli-backed militia leader, Al-Dahini’s rise exposes a risky “day after” gamble—recycling extremism into local proxies that could drag Gaza into civil war.

Yousef Okail_ 18-12-2025

Ghassan Al-Dahini and the recycling of chaos in Gaza

A Year Without Assad| A new Middle East begins in Damascus

Politics_

One year on from Assad’s fall, Syria’s upheaval is reshaping the region. From Ankara to Tel Aviv and Washington to Tehran, Damascus has become the hinge of a new political order.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 14-12-2025

A Year Without Assad| A new Middle East begins in Damascus

Basma Moussa: A Baha'i woman against all forms of oppression

Politics_

A Baha'i who faced lifelong discrimination, Basma Moussa quietly challenged Egypt’s institutions and exposed the limits of belonging.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 11-12-2025

Basma Moussa: A Baha'i woman against all forms of oppression

A Year Without Assad| The metamorphosis of a jihadist

Politics_

A year after Assad’s fall, Ahmad Al-Sharaa—formerly the jihadist Al-Joulani—represents the defeat and cooption of political Islam to serve the agendas of regional players

Amr Adly_ 10-12-2025

A Year Without Assad| The metamorphosis of a jihadist

How voters’ ballots evaporated after the president’s veto

Politics_

After the president’s veto, rerun elections in Imbaba and other constituencies slashed vote totals, lifted independents, and exposed how engineered results can suddenly unravel.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 10-12-2025

How voters’ ballots evaporated after the president’s veto