Exclusive Senior Houthi official says Bab el Mandab closure an option if any Gulf states join war Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansour also said the strait could be closed “should the aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalate.” By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Analysis Israel urges US escalation against Iran, possible ground invasion Israel has made clear it will not deploy ground forces to Iran, but would strongly support US military action if the Trump administration chooses to proceed. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Dermer’s return puts Netanyahu’s 'brain' at center of US-Israel calculus Dermer, former Israeli strategic affairs minister, is considered one of Netanyahu’s closest associates, having worked together for over two decades. Israel
Settler violence spike exposes Israeli government rift with military Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak of centrist Yesh Atid told Al-Monitor that the government must permit the use of administrative detention for extremist settlers to curb the violence. Israel
Exclusive Israel suspects Trump betting on 3 Iran officials, including Ghalibaf, to end war By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Meet Bagher Zolghadr, a hard-line IRGC veteran now Iran's security chief By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Intel: Why 5 Democratic presidential hopefuls just rebelled against Trump’s new defense secretary An overwhelming bipartisan majority of the Senate voted 90-8 Tuesday to confirm former Army Secretary Mark Esper as President Donald Trump’s new defense secretary. Saudi Arabia
Israelis are Trump's biggest fans President Donald Trump faces growing criticism in the United States over his anti-immigrant approach, but in Israel he is considered a hero. Israel
Intel: US drone shootdown sparks more Gulf tension US President Donald Trump said today that the United States destroyed an Iranian drone that came within 1,000 yards of an American vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Defense officials told CNN the drone was brought down today by electronic jamming. Iraq
Intel: US boots Turkey from F-35 program after Russian arms deal The Donald Trump administration said today it would formally kick Turkey out of the F-35 program after Ankara took delivery of a Russian air defense system that could threaten the American fighter’s stealth capabilities. Turkey
Will Erdogan risk an operation in Syria? Turkish media reports suggest that an incursion by the Turkish army east of the Euphrates is imminent. Syria
EU, Iran try to stand ground against Trump’s sanctions The countries working to save the Iranian nuclear deal have various reasons for doing so, and one could be concern that US President Donald Trump’s unilateral decisions won’t stop with Tehran. United States
Ilhan Omar seizes spotlight to push pro-BDS resolution Rep. Ilhan Omar plans to introduce a pro-BDS resolution days after President Donald Trump invoked Israel to defend his racist tweets that put her in the national spotlight. Israel
EU says Iran deal parties trying to salvage deal, not ready to trigger dispute mechanism The remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are not yet prepared to trigger the accord’s dispute-resolution mechanism over Iran’s decision to reduce its compliance to protest crippling US economic sanctions. United States
How Turkey is planning to handle US blowback over S-400s Some parts of the Russian made S-400 missile system arrived in Ankara in the last several days, but none of the shipment included missiles. Turkey
Are Trump team’s overtures to Palestinians serious? After the failure of the Bahraini workhop, the Trump team is making overtures to the Palestinian president and suggesting the reopening of the Palestinian mission in Washington — but can this be taken serious? Palestine
Rouhani out of time, support for revised nuclear deal US sanctions and Europe's failure to come up with a satisfactory substitute for the nuclear deal are weakening the moderates in Iran's government while inflaming the hawks. United States
