Hey guys! Here' are your weekly Drops of News on the Middle East and North Africa:
🌙 The month of Ramadan began on Tuesday (Monday in the Americas) and will once again be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions 😷. Many countries in the region have reduced the number of visitors allowed in mosques, limited Iftar and Suhoor gatherings to family members only, and banned Iftar tents 🍽. In addition, online greetings, certain prayers and charity donations are encouraged.
What are the repercussions on the poor? People in need will be the most affected by this. The closure of mosques means many are going without food during this month, as many relied on the free meals provided in Ramadan tents outside mosques 🕌 at the breaking of the fast. Some countries, such as the UAE, have promised to compensate for this by organising food deliveries for people in need.
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🇮🇷🇮🇱 Whilst last week ended with promising progress towards the revival of the JCPOA, things just got more complicated: on Sunday Iran’s nuclear facility in Natanz, which had already been bombed last year, suffered another attack in which the Mossad was allegedly involved.
As a response, Iran stated it would produce 60%-enriched uranium ☢️. In addition, Iran's top diplomat called the attack ‘‘a very bad gamble’’ that would boost Iran’s leverage in the JCPOA talks. How will Iran use this leverage 👀 ?
🇹🇳 Tunisian security forces raided the headquarters of state news agency Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) and attacked journalists who called for a general strike to protest Kamel Ben Younes’s appointment as head.
Ben Younes’ appointment is seen as a government attempt to "tame the media" 📺 due to his close links with both former president Ben Ali and the Islamist party Ennahda, which guarantees the majority in parliament.
Despite the incident with the police, TAP journalists ✍️ have reaffirmed their "willingness to engage in all forms of struggle to defend the independence of public media institutions and sources."
🇹🇷 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid renewed tensions in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has reinforced its troops 🪖following the breach of the July 2020 truce.
🇹🇷🇪🇬 Turkey is also mending some tensions of its own: a Turkish delegation will visit Egypt next month as part of Ankara’s efforts to normalise ties with Cairo after the two countries cut diplomatic ties in 2013. What’s more, according to members of Egypt’s Istanbul-based opposition media 🗞, Turkish officials had asked them to “tone down” the criticism of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
🇮🇶 What about Iraq?
👉🏻 At least four people have been killed and 17 others wounded in a car bomb attack in the Sadr City neighbourhood of Baghdad. This is the second major bombing in the capital this year after the twin suicide attacks claimed by ISIS.
👉🏻 The military section of Erbil International Airport, where US-led coalition forces are deployed, was hit by an explosives-laden drone. A few hours later, the attack was claimed by a group calling itself Al Sabiqoon, one of the many Shiite militias that emerged since the US drone attack that killed Iranian commander Qassem Suleimani in January last year.
🇶🇦 The Qatar Red Crescent launched a $100m global refugee vaccination initiative aimed at vaccinating 💉 3,650,000 refugees in 20 countries, including in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, northern Syria, the occupied Palestinian territories, and Yemen.
🇵🇸 Israeli forces arrested several Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, many of whom were prominent members of the Hamas. Palestinians have seen this as yet another attempt at disrupting the elections 🗳, which are scheduled for May 22nd. Is it a coincidence that at least three members of the Hamas slate of candidates have been arrested in recent weeks? We think not.
You’re all caught up, and it only took you around 5 minutes! 🎉
Written by Zoe Dharma Ciaccio and Filippo Gianoglio.
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