Mostafa Salem - Senior News Reporter
Mostafa Salem
Senior News Reporter
Mostafa Salem is a Senior News Reporter for CNN, specializing in Middle East politics and regional affairs. He is based at the network's Abu Dhabi bureau.
Latest
Israel attacks suburbs of Beirut, targeting alleged Hezbollah ‘drone factories’
Jun 6, 2025
The Israeli military carried out strikes on Hezbollah “drone factories” in southern Lebanon and suburbs of Beirut on Thursday, as large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the Lebanese capital.
Iran’s supreme leader slams US nuclear proposal, says it will continue to enrich uranium
Jun 4, 2025
Iran’s supreme leader has denounced a proposal by the United States aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear efforts and demanded that his country retains national independence amid reports of Washington offering to become involved in Tehran’s nuclear program.
Aid distribution in Gaza has turned deadly. Here’s what to know
Jun 4, 2025
A new program for getting desperately needed food into the hands of starving Palestinians in Gaza is only days old, but it’s already mired in chaos and tragedy.
What we know about Colorado suspect’s life leading up to antisemitic attack
Jun 3, 2025
The 45-year-old suspect brought a homemade flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to attack a Jewish community event, officials say.
Israel will block rare Saudi-led ministerial delegation from visiting West Bank, official says, as anger over Gaza grows
May 31, 2025
Israel has said it will “not cooperate” with plans from the Palestinian Authority (PA) to host a Saudi-led delegation of foreign ministers in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli official told CNN on Friday.
‘We want Israel out yesterday, not tomorrow:’ Lebanon’s leader urges US to pressure Israel to withdraw troops
May 28, 2025
Israel’s military occupation in parts of southern Lebanon is undermining Beirut’s attempts to restore sovereignty over a nation reeling from decades of conflict, the country’s prime minister has told CNN.
Ancient tombs more than 3,000 years old unearthed in Egypt
May 27, 2025
Three tombs dating back thousands of years have been unearthed in an ancient Egyptian burial complex.
OpenAI and Nvidia among companies building Stargate AI infrastructure in UAE
May 22, 2025
OpenAI and Nvidia will join other companies to build Stargate UAE, an artificial intelligence infrastructure cluster, in a sister project to the recently unveiled push to expand AI infrastructure in the United States.
Iran warns US nuclear talks will fail if enrichment demand stands
May 19, 2025
An Iranian official has warned that nuclear talks with the United States “will not actually get anywhere” if Washington insists Tehran abandon enrichment of uranium – a process that can also be used to make a bomb.
Israel begins extensive Gaza ground operation after intense airstrikes kill more than 100 overnight
May 19, 2025
Israel launched an extensive ground operation in Gaza Sunday in addition to an intense air campaign that health officials in the territory say killed over 100 people overnight and shuttered the last functioning hospital in the enclave’s north.
Trump’s embrace of Syria and its jihadist-turned-president could shake up the Middle East
May 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday had tea with a former jihadist who until recently had a $10 million US bounty on his head.
In Netanyahu’s new Middle East, Syria could become Israel’s biggest strategic gain
Mar 14, 2025
Just hours after Islamist rebels ousted longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood at edge of the occupied Golan Heights and looked out over Syria. The historic downfall will create “very important opportunities” for Israel, he said in a video message.
Why is Saudi Arabia hosting talks to end the Ukraine war?
Mar 11, 2025
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of top American, Russian and Ukrainian officials for high-stakes meetings underlines the kingdom’s aspirations to become a global actor capable of successfully mediating international conflicts.
Syrian government loyalists accused of executing civilians as violence erupts
Mar 9, 2025
Armed men loyal to the Syrian government carried out field executions and spoke of purifying the country, according to eyewitnesses and video, providing a gruesome picture of a crackdown against remnants of the former Assad regime that spiraled into communal killings.
US rejects alternative Gaza reconstruction plan proposed by Arab leaders
Mar 5, 2025
The Trump administration has rejected a long-awaited plan for the reconstruction of Gaza endorsed by Arab leaders, saying the president stands by his own vision which includes expelling the territory’s Palestinian residents and transforming it into a “riviera” owned by the United States.
About
Mostafa Salem is a Senior News Reporter for CNN, specializing in Middle East politics and regional affairs. He is based at the network’s Abu Dhabi bureau. In this role, he has led editorial coverage of major regional stories for CNN, including the war in Gaza, the rapprochement and geopolitical rise of the Gulf, and the fall of Assad in Syria, delivering analysis and reporting for a diverse global audience.
Prior to joining CNN, Mostafa spent seven years as a regional field producer with Reuters, covering Iraq’s 2019 youth protests, the fall of ISIS in Mosul in 2017, and climate conferences in Marrakech, Katowice, and Madrid.
Traveling extensively, he produced impactful video content, honing his understanding of the region’s political and environmental dynamics, which he now applies at CNN.
Mostafa won two Emmy Awards for his contributions to team coverage of the war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
An Egyptian-native, he is a Cairo University Faculty of Law graduate and fluent in Arabic and English.
