I have a case control study that I would like to publish but there has already been a meta analysis of observational studies in the same topic but on a different population (Iranians) and during a different time period (2000 to 2016). Mine is in the USA and will analyze data from 2016 onwards. Will my study be novel enough for a shot at a good journal?
Yes. But it's important to highlight the differences in population, time period, and potentially methodology in your submission to emphasize the novelty and relevance of your findings.
You should also consider what it might mean if you get a similar answer or a different answer relative to the previous study. Is there a reason why you expect a (similar or a different) answer than the earlier study and why? Then run the analysis and see if the outcome agrees or disagrees with your initial hypothesis.
Many answers to questions such as this are going to be 'it depends'. Here I think it will depend on the certainty of the previous meta-analysis (volume and quality of evidence), the importance of the different context (for some questions intrinsically important, others less so), and the relationship between your results and those of the meta-analysis (it is always easier to pitch a paper if the result is new / different rather than just confirming). Of course, over and above all this the importance of the question and the quality of the research you have done are also going to be important!
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