US issues more Iran sanctions as Trump says strikes will resume The sanctions are the latest to target Iran's weapons procurement networks. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
As Trump casts doubt on Netanyahu's future, Likud rushes to reaffirm support By questioning whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will run in the next Knesset elections, President Donald Trump may have dented one of the Israeli leader's key political assets ahead of the vote. Israel
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
Analysis Why Israel sees Lebanon’s 'pilot zones' as path to containing Hezbollah 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
Palestinians ponder reasons for punishing US measures Washington keeps heaping injuries and insults onto Palestinians, who have various theories about the motivation behind the measures. Palestine
Turkey chides US for failing to honor Manbij accord Ankara is caught between two superpowers that are pursuing their own agendas in Syria, while its efforts to implement its own agenda there only seem to be growing more difficult with time. Originals
Trump's punishment of Palestinians boomerangs at Israel Instead of distancing himself from decisions that will cause a backlash at Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump’s decisions to cut UNRWA funds and close the PLO office in Washington. Palestine
Pressure mounts on Iran's president to skip the UN General Assembly The Iranian president’s planned trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly is sparking divisions among his political backers and opponents. United States
US-PLO row jeopardizes consular services for Palestinians Visas and other services may be collateral damage as the Donald Trump administration closes the Palestine Liberation Organization’s mission office in Washington. Palestine
Church groups outraged as US denies critical support to Jerusalem hospitals US President Donald Trump's decision to redirect $25 million earmarked for Palestinians in East Jerusalem hospitals to "high-priority projects elsewhere" leaves seriously ill patients caught in the middle of "political blackmail." Palestine
US friends in the Middle East lose a champion in John McCain The late senator from Arizona leaves behind a legacy as one of the Senate’s last prominent proponents of US interventionism. Iraq
Trump touts Mideast moves as Washington reels from 'Crazytown' accounts As accounts emerge of White House aides' internal resistance to some of Trump's controversial policy decisions, the president boasts of his decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, cut off Palestinian aid and pull the plug on the Iran nuclear deal. Palestine
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