Analysis 'We are already hearing the bus': Israeli insiders fear Netanyahu is losing Trump’s backing on Iran “He couldn’t afford a confrontation with Trump, who was the last asset he had left,” a Netanyahu associate told Al-Monitor, describing the prime minister’s struggle to balance pressure for retaliation against Iran with the need to preserve his alliance with the US president. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Israel’s Lebanon endgame remains elusive despite ceasefire deal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was compelled by President Donald Trump to accept a new ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, but without a clear long-term strategy, he may be inclined to resume hostilities at the first opportunity. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Iran unveils new missile-armed fast attack boat: What to know The boats are the latest addition to Iran’s "mosquito fleet," a fleet of high-speed attack craft operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran
Analysis Why Israel sees Lebanon’s 'pilot zones' as path to containing Hezbollah Israel views the proposed pilot security zones in southern Lebanon as a pragmatic way to gradually expand Lebanese state control, push Hezbollah away from the border and preserve a fragile ceasefire while the Trump administration pursues broader negotiations with Iran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Feature Backed by Trump and Turkey, Armenia's Pashinyan eyes third term in pivotal poll By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Who is Bill Pulte, Trump loyalist tapped as intelligence director? By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Turks unite to condemn Trump's threat to 'devastate' economy Turkish government officials and members of the opposition condemned President Donald Trump's threat to "devastate Turkey economically" if Ankara attacks Washington's Kurdish allies in northern Syria. Syria
Pompeo's Cairo speech panned as ‘tone-deaf,’ ‘hyper-partisan,’ ‘offensive’ Former diplomats and regional experts say Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s Cairo address fell short on substance and policy vision, while inappropriately taking domestic partisan arguments to foreign soil. Egypt
Congress plans new challenge to president’s war powers amid Syria pullout Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., is looking for allies on her latest push to end the 2001 war authorization that the Donald Trump administration uses to fight terrorism in the Middle East. Syria
Rival fiefdoms emerge in scramble over Trump's Syria withdrawal Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton have offered different messages about President Donald Trump’s intentions for a Syria withdrawal. Israel
Can US Syria policy keep up with Trump? The US president will need assistance from Vladimir Putin, Mohammed bin Salman and even Bashar al-Assad to close the deal with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Syria. Saudi Arabia
Pompeo heads to Mideast to stress 'US not going anywhere' Despite President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will stress US commitment to the region and an anti-Iran theme on trip to Jordan, Egypt and Gulf states. Legacy: Gulf
Why Iranian teachers are protesting Iranian teachers are raising their voices to demand better conditions both for themselves and their students, and the struggle is moving forward with both protests and engagement with the authorities. United States
How Israeli senior officials deal with an unpredictable Trump The decisions by President Donald Trump to pull out of the Iranian nuke agreement, and recently to exit Syria, worry Israeli senior officials. Israel