France’s Macron first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia since Houthi escalation French President Emmanuel Macron met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a surprise stop in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Explainer Why Israel, Armenia don't benefit from hijab spat between Turkey, Azerbaijan Israel and Armenia have reasons to worry about the escalating dispute between Turkey and Azerbaijan, despite their own tensions with Ankara and Baku. Turkey
Explainer Israel-UK relations hit new low over settlements, Gaza: What to know Despite Britain’s ban on goods from Israeli settlements and Israel’s closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, both countries are seeking to keep communication channels open. Israel
Rubio signals US push to ease Greece-Turkey cable tensions The top US diplomat said Washington was “very committed” to the subsea cable project as Ankara and Athens remain at odds over survey work in contested waters. Turkey
Analysis After France's settlement ban, Israel sees no warming of ties with Macron government By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Russia, Turkey look to strengthen relationship beyond Syria Contrary to expectations, in Moscow Syria was a marginal story while Putin and Erdogan focused on further boosting bilateral ties. Syria
Zarif: Iran never pinned hopes on Europe Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic has not and will not pin its hopes on Europe to save the JCPOA and will focus instead on working with countries in the region. Iraq
Will local election defeat force Erdogan to improve ties with West? Turkey needs better ties with the United States and Europe to heal the ailing Turkish economy, but experts are not optimistic that Erdogan will do this. Turkey
Road map for Iran-EU trade and investment relations Europe is making efforts to set up a special purpose vehicle to uphold legitimate trade with Iran, but there is a need for a more comprehensive action plan for such trade and political relations. United States
Turkey's economy sinks into recession Financial media say the Turkish economy is in recession, and Turkey refuses to renew the press cards of three German journalists. Turkey
Turkey becoming minefield for foreign journalists Three foreign reporters in Turkey have seen their accreditations terminated, while the renewal applications of 50 others remain unanswered since December, fueling concern that Ankara is seeking to drive the foreign media out. Turkey
Human rights the elephant in the room at Arab-EU summit The first summit of European Union and Arab League leaders exposed existing rifts between the Middle East and Europe, in particular on the human rights front. Legacy: Gulf
Netanyahu’s dance with anti-Semitism A comment on anti-Semitism in Poland by acting Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz has inadvertently exposed the hypocrisy of Israel’s right-wing government. Israel
Trump allies hijack Warsaw summit with calls for Iran war, regime change Giuliani's meeting with Iranian opposition group and Israeli prime minister's tweet about war with Iran gets conference on promoting peace in the Middle East off to problematic start. Yemen
Turkey, Greece take symbolic but significant steps closer Ankara and Athens both could have lots to gain if they're able to turn goodwill gestures into concrete solutions to their common problems. Originals
Will Warsaw summit unite US, EU against Iran? Despite a likely Western European snub in terms of level of representation, the Warsaw summit holds the possibility of being a starting point for a European-American consensus against Iran down the line, potentially depriving Tehran of even the minimum benefits of the nuclear deal. United States
Cairo seeks international help to clear millions of land mines Egypt is still littered with land mines from past wars, endangering its citizens and complicating development efforts. Egypt
