Jerusalem, missile defense dominate Putin's quick Turkey visit During his speed visit to the region, Putin stopped over in Ankara to discuss Trump's Jerusalem move with Erdogan as well as moving forward with the sale of the S-400 missile defense system to Turkey. Palestine
Gazan authors start new chapter Although writers and publishers have suffered in the economic difficulties that have gripped the Gaza Strip since 2006, signs of a literary awakening are giving booklovers hope. Palestine
Islamic Jihad pushes Hamas into corner After Trump’s Jerusalem declaration Hamas found itself in a Catch-22: While it wants to avoid clashes with Israel, it also does not want the public to view it as hindering armed action in response. Palestine
Israeli women take over IDF tanks The religious Zionist movement objects to the Israeli army's decision to train female soldiers as tank crews. Israel
Turkey's 'shadowy' gold trade raises questions about Iran's involvement Unexplained rises in Turkey’s gold exports and imports have led experts to wonder whether Iran has reintroduced its trade mechanisms to circumvent international sanctions. United Arab Emirates
Netanyahu prepares for day after police indictment Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already prepared his public strategy in case the police recommend his indictment for accepting bribes. Israel
Iran's envoy in Jordan: Support for Hezbollah maintains Arab security In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Ambassador to Jordan Mojtaba Ferdosipour discusses regional developments, including accusations against Iran of supporting terrorism in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia
Tunisia's Ennahda struggles to shake political Islam identity The announcement of a Saudi-led bloc’s new terrorist list that includes the International Union of Muslim Scholars has tongues wagging about the failure of Tunisia’s Ennahda movement to break free from political Islam. Tunisia
Baghdad seeks concessions before negotiating with Kurds Baghdad is demanding more than the Kurdistan Regional Government may be willing to give before the two sides can even begin talks to resolve their disputes. Iraq
Israel continues to expand in West Bank through new tourist route The Israeli government approved the construction of a new tourist route that would pass through the West Bank to the Syrian Golan Heights, raising fears among Palestinians about Israel’s attempts to maintain a permanent presence in occupied territories. Palestine
Will Egypt issue a unified public transportation card? A study is underway, headed by South Korean firms, to assess the Alexandria and Cairo transportation networks in anticipation of the release of a unified public transportation card. Egypt
Europeans help sway Congress to punt on legislation that could kill Iran deal Concerted European diplomatic efforts have helped persuade Congress to not pass legislation that would violate the Iran nuclear deal, for now. United States
Iranian oil minister moves to forge new regional partnerships At the recent OPEC meeting, Iran moved to protect its oil production and forge new regional partnerships. Saudi Arabia
Former Iran Central Bank chairman denies ever meeting Zarrab The former head of Iran’s Central Bank said he never met with jailed Turkish-Iranian tycoon Reza Zarrab. Turkey
Turkish prisons struggle to cope with demand At least 50,000 people have been jailed in Turkey since the 2016 coup attempt and there are plans to build 228 new prisons over the next five years to make room for more. Turkey
Sisi performs balancing act in wake of Trump's Jerusalem move Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been careful to strike a delicate balance between allowing public condemnation of Trump's decision and not letting protests get out of hand. Palestine
