Palestinians worry that Israel's mosque closure is about more than the Iran war

NPR | By Carrie Kahn,

Eric McDaniel

Published March 19, 2026 at 4:03 PM EDT

Since the Iran war began, Israel has restricted public gathering and isn't letting worshippers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque. As Ramadan ends, religious leaders say the ban on prayers is political.

Carrie Kahn

Carrie Kahn is NPR's International Correspondent based in Mexico City, Mexico. She covers Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. Kahn's reports can be heard on NPR's award-winning news programs including All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Weekend Edition, and on NPR.org.

See stories by Carrie Kahn

Eric McDaniel

Eric McDaniel edits the NPR Politics Podcast. He joined the program ahead of its 2019 relaunch as a daily podcast.

See stories by Eric McDaniel

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