The Takeaway: Blinken's call for two-state solution met with Israeli-Palestinian pessimism Plus, the US denies involvement in the Isfahan drone attack and Jordan's king returns to Washington. Israel
Qatar stays put after US, Saudi Arabia, UAE raise interest rates The Gulf central banks’ moves followed the US Federal Reserve raising its rates. Inflation increased in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022. Legacy: Gulf
US CENTCOM pulls closer to Israeli military as Mossad tests Iran Training exercise represents the tightest collaboration ever, but CENTCOM's deputy commander told Al-Monitor the US had no involvement in recent strikes attributed to Israel in Isfahan, Iran and eastern Syria. Israel
Explainer: What is behind Lebanon's new exchange rate? There are multiple exchange rates between the Lebanese pound and the US dollar, and the official rate being below the black market rate helps financial institutions pass on their losses to the public. Lebanon
Can Turkey's Erdogan decouple Finland's and Sweden’s NATO bids? Though Erdogan is adopting a more positive attitude toward Finland's NATO bid as he slams the door in Sweden’s face once more, neither Helsinki nor NATO seem keen on leaving Sweden behind just yet. Turkey
Pro-Iran group claims attack on Turkey's base in northern Iraq The so-called Bashiqa base, which has long been a source of tension between Ankara and Baghdad, is a frequent target of rocket attacks by pro-Iranian groups in Iraq. Turkey
Signaling US, OPEC+ agrees to keep oil production unchanged Experts say the decision by Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major oil producers could be motivated by a desire to maintain calm with the United States. Legacy: Gulf
Chad President to inaugurate new embassy in Israel, as Netanyahu opens to Africa "Israel’s coming back to Africa and Africa [is] coming back to Israel," Netanyahu told Chadian President Mahamat Deby ahead of opening embassy on Thursday. Israel
Europe's quandary between 'low intensity' Jihadism, Islamic State detainees European authorities fear solo attacks indirectly inspired by Islamist websites, while also weighing the consequences of repatriating their citizens from IS prison camps in Syria. By Gilles Kepel
