Region in focus: May 3, 2017

Afghan people visit the Herat National Museum in Herat, Afghanistan. The museum was recently opened after renovations of the historic citadel. Herat is an ancient city with many historic buildings and is dominated by the remains of a citadel constructed by Alexander the Great. Jalil Rezayee / EPA

A member of the Lebanese Communist party, waves the party’s flag, during a demonstration to mark International Labor Day or May Day, in Beirut, Lebanon. Bilal Hussein / AP Photo

Pope Francis looks over the river Nile from a terrace, during a meeting with the clergy and religious, in Cairo, Egypt. AP Photo

A member of the Iraqi Federal Police is seen reflected at mirror as he shaves outside Hammam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq. Suhaib Salem / Reuters

People inspect a hospital, damaged following an air strike a rebel-controlled town in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, Syria. Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP

Police arrest a demonstrator during a May Day protest in Istanbul, Turkey. Lefteris Pitarakis / AP Photo

A crew member stands on the deck of the Malta-based NGO Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Phoenix after sunset in the central Mediterranean ininternational waters off the coast of Libya. Darrin Zammit Lupi / Reuters

A Palestinian protester walks past a fire during clashes with Israeli troops at a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, in the West bank village of Beita, near Nablus. Mohamad Torokman / Reuters

Among other members of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, centre, with Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, participate in a ceremony to mark Erdogan rejoining the party in Ankara, Turkey. AP Photo

Iraqi soldiers stand next to their vehicle in the village of Huleileh, north of Mosul during an offensive to retake the area from ISIL fighters. Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP

James O’Hara

The best images from the last seven days from around the Gulf and across the Middle East.

Updated: May 03, 2017, 12:00 AM