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
Trump shelves Gulf talks until next year The White House has once again postponed a Gulf Cooperation Council summit aimed at bringing together the fragmented alliance to counter Iran. Saudi Arabia
Tehran summit to end Syrian war, says Iran media The summit taking place in Iran between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Friday can lead to the end of the Syrian civil war. Syria
Why Netanyahu keeps Oslo Accords alive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented successfully his plan of preserving the Oslo interim agreement, while distancing any possibility for a two-state solution. Palestine
Will Jordanians, Palestinians accept a confederation? Any deal that doesn’t include an end to the Israeli control of areas it occupied in 1967 will not succeed, including the creation of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation. Palestine
Pentagon adjusts war games to cope with Iran threat The US military is making changes to its Middle East drills to respond to the Donald Trump administration’s fears of a growing military threat from Iran. Congress
US cuts millions of dollars' worth of aid to Palestinians The United States continues to cut funds that had been designated as aid for the Gaza Strip and West Bank, this time withholding hundreds of millions of dollars. Palestine
Trump turns away from the Palestinians In a departure from past US administrations, the Donald Trump administration in a series of recent steps increasingly appears to be aligning the United States against the Palestinians on key issues in the conflict. Palestine
Why dismantling the PA could advance two-state solution Over the years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in turning the interim agreement with the Palestinians into a permanent one, thus distancing talks toward the two-state solution. Palestine
Israel, US seek to redefine Palestinian refugees Israeli diplomats claim that the UNRWA’s mandate must be revised so that the issue of Palestinian refugees will include only the generation that really lost its home. Palestine
Congress dangles Turkey trade deal as carrot to Trump’s stick Lawmakers are floating a free trade agreement with Turkey as the president doubles steel and aluminum tariffs on Ankara for its ongoing detention of a US pastor. Turkey
Russia, US looking for common ground on Syria US national security adviser John Bolton met in Geneva with Russian National Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev to outline the range of issues the two nations can jointly cooperate on. Syria
Is Trump's peace plan stillborn? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are united in an unlikely coalition already opposed to the soon-to-be unveiled US peace plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Palestine
