Syrian opposition says it won’t accept Russian soldiers in demilitarized area A few days after the 12th round of Astana peace talks on Syria, the Syrian government and Russia resume heavy shelling in Idlib. Syria
Pro-Iran militia leader lashes out against Pompeo visit to Baghdad Following US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Baghdad, pro-Iranian forces in Iraq sent a strong warning to the United States. Iraq
Turkey and Palestine maintain strong ties despite US pressures Turkey is proving to be a strong ally to Palestine despite being a member of NATO and having a long-standing military relationship with Israel, and Palestinian officials are trying to use this relationship to counterpressure the Trump administration and Israel. Palestine
New app assesses Islamic preachers in Gaza Gaza’s Ministry of Religious Endowments launched a smartphone app allowing worshippers to assess preachers and find out in which mosque they will be delivering Friday sermons across the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Israeli holidays delay deal to reopen Gaza border crossings Although Israel quickly reversed its decision to stop trucks from entering the Gaza Strip, the delay is shrinking already-strained supplies of essential fuel. Palestine
Yemenis demand aid transparency as humanitarian crisis rages A campaign demanding transparency in aid delivery is gaining traction in Yemen, where a humanitarian crisis threatens millions. Saudi Arabia
Egypt’s private sector to revamp 150 historic buildings in Cairo The Egyptian government is drawing up a plan to turn over historic buildings to the public sector to help refurbish them and rent them out Egypt
Turkey's opposition protests, plans as date set for Istanbul re-vote The announcement that the Istanbul mayoral election was going to be held again was greeted with the discordant sounds of clanging pots and pans, and supporters of opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu now face the difficult task of finding the recipe that can bring him victory again June 23. Turkey
Libyan government presses US to block Gulf support for Tripoli offensive The UN-backed Government of National Accord is lobbying Washington to halt Khalifa Hifter’s offensive on Tripoli by denying him arms from Gulf Arab states. Libya
Democrats slam ‘massive failure’ of Trump policy after Iran restarts nuclear activity Democrats are blaming the Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign for Tehran’s decision to resume some enrichment activity constrained by the 2015 nuclear deal. Congress
Intel: How Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign is bringing Iran and Russia closer together Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's long-planned visit to Moscow today quickly turned into a grievance-sharing session with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the Donald Trump administration. Russia
Trump admin vows US won’t be 'hostage' to 'nuclear blackmail' from Iran The United States says won’t give in to Iranian threats as Iran is set to end compliance with the two conditions the US administration recently made impossible to meet. United States
Iran seeks broader defense cooperation with Russia amid US pressure As part of a long-term military strategy to fortify its defenses against US threats, Iran is moving closer to Russia — with a vision entailing broader defense cooperation. Russia
Intel: How new presidency will affect power dynamics in Iraqi Kurdistan Lawmakers in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region formally reactivated the office of the presidency in a legislative session presided over by the body’s first female speaker, Vala Farid. Iraq
Erdogan could lose more than Istanbul in high-stakes electoral gamble With many Turks outraged over the nullification of Istanbul's election results, the oppression of dissent and violence expected going into the rerun could backfire on the increasingly authoritarian president. Turkey
After 'year of patience' Iran suspends some nuclear commitments Iran will suspend two voluntary commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, giving European signatories to the deal 60 days' notice to deliver the promised economic dividends or face further action. Iran
