The Media Line

Voices from the Arab press: Turkey’s strategic bet on energy

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

A TURKISH petroleum engineer poses on the helipad of Turkish drilling vessel ‘Yavuz’ in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Cyprus.
The aftermath of an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, June 15, 2025

WATCH: Bat Yam residents reflect on another Iran conflict after devastating missile impact in 2025

PAKISTAN FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Pakistan and the US, February 19, 2026.

Pakistan, US launch partnership to redevelop Roosevelt Hotel in New York

A Turkish police officer and armored vehicle outside Istanbul Courthouse, March 26, 2019; illustrative.

Turkey detains 88 in nationwide raids over alleged links to group accused of 2016 coup attempt


Rafah reopens as Gaza reconnects with world, testing Israel's postwar strategy - analysis

Rafah is one of the sticking points in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and was often the focal point of the war that began in October 2023.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opens to pedestrian traffic on Feb. 2, 2026.

New security accord between Syria, SDF points to structural realignment, implementation uncertain

The new agreement, described as a “qualitative shift,” differs in both form and substance from previous understandings reached in recent years.

SDF leader Mazloum Abdi (L) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) signing a deal to end the war between their two groups, March 2025.

US inaction would ‘embolden’ Iran after denial of airspace access, Saudi defense minister warns

“At this point, if this doesn’t happen, it will only embolden the regime,” said Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

Chief of Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, welcomes Saudi Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2025.

Pakistan says hundreds killed in Balochistan attack, including 108 terrorists

State broadcaster Pakistan Television reported that members of an armed group carried out coordinated attacks at more than a dozen locations, including Quetta, Nushki, Dalbandin, Pasni, and Gwadar. 

Afghan citizens wait to register as they attempt to return to their country, with trucks loaded with their belongings seen in the background, after Pakistan closed border crossings for trade with Afghanistan following exchanges of fire between the two nations' forces, at the Chaman border crossing.

Huda Kattan faces backlash after reposting pro-Iranian regime video

Huda Kattan’s repost from TRT World of a pro-regime video has sparked outrage, leading to a boycott of her beauty brand and a deeper conversation about influence and responsibility.

Huda Kattan attends the Sephora x Huda Beauty – Pink vs Peach KSA at Sidra Arts on January 16, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi-UAE split fractures anti-Houthi coalition as Iran-US tension threaten Red Sea - analysis

The coalition architecture that once united Gulf powers against Iranian proxies is now divided, leaving the Houthis facing less coordinated pressure.

Supporters of Yemen's Huthi rebels attend a gathering to mark annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day commemorations in Sanaa on March 28, 2025.

‘Freedom is God’s idea,’ pastor says, casting Iran showdown as a moral mandate

Longtime minister Steve Berger says private conversations with senior figures point to escalating pressure on Iran through tariffs, sanctions, and targeted military action.

People attend the funeral of the security forces who were killed in the protests that erupted over the collapse of the currency's value in Tehran, Iran, January 14, 2026.

Taliban confirms it is holding Americans, ex-intel officer calls detainee Coyle 'valuable asset'

Americans are being held in near-solitary confinement by a Taliban counterintelligence unit whose personnel include former detainees from Guantanamo Bay and the US-run Bagram prison.

A Taliban security personnel stands guard along a road near the Ghulam Khan zero-point border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Gurbuz district in the southeast of Khost province on October 20, 2025.

Pakistan opposition, religious parties slam Shehbaz Sharif’s Gaza Board decision

Critics fault the government for bypassing parliament as Islamabad joins a US-backed initiative alongside other Muslim states.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif grimaces prior to a bilateral meeting, on December 12, 2025 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Putin arrived in Turkmenistan to participate in the Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust, International Day of Neutrality.

From war footing to Wall Street: IAI’s Boaz Levy on business of Israel’s missile shield

Israel Aerospace Industries’ CEO explains why a minority IPO is moving forward, how Arrow proved itself under fire, and why Europe’s rush for air defense is only accelerating.

Israel Aerospace Industries CEO Boaz Levy at the Israeli-American Council event.