US revokes Iran oil waiver after Hormuz attacks The United States had issued the two-month sanctions waiver as part of its preliminary deal with Iran. Iran
Analysis Trump's F-35 push for Turkey runs into CAATSA — and Israel Israel fears that Washington may be shifting its strategic options toward Turkey as the two rivals push for regional hegemony. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Trump says US will lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey, consider F-35 sale The US president has announced that sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian missile batteries will be lifted. Turkey
Analysis As it hosts NATO, Turkey eyes France's SAMP/T system, F-35 progress with Trump Turkey is set to host NATO leaders as doubts over US commitment linger prompting Ankara to seeks its own defense deals with Paris and Washington. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran mourns Khamenei as questions swirl over Mojtaba’s absence By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis In Libya, maritime dispute could complicate Turkey’s backing of US unity push By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis As US-Iran talks falter, Israel views war outcome as 'total strategic failure’ By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Congress moves to sanction Russians for mercenary surge in Libya The US National Security Council has begun a review of US policy involving Libya as a congressional bill seeks to sanction Russian mercenaries who have undertaken operations in the war-torn North African country. Libya
Turkey’s fight against IS riddled with black holes Ankara may boast about how many Islamic State members it has captured, but its handling of IS suspects on the ground, especially in deportation centers, speaks of a slipshod attitude to the problem. Syria
Probe claims State Department sidelined Iran expert in politicized smear campaign The State Department's Office of the Inspector General finds that “improper considerations played a role" in the removal of a career employee's assignment to the department's policy planning office. United States
Erdogan lauds Trump for 'sincere' efforts to fix ties with Turkey The Turkish president received a warm welcome in Washington despite launching a military operation in northeast Syria that has upended US regional policy and defying NATO to acquire Russian weapons. Turkey
Rouhani: US no friend of Muslims, Mideast President Hassan Rouhani has continued his new anti-US position at the latest Islamic Unity Conference. United States
Absent new agreements, Trump-Erdogan meeting ends with pledge to work together US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Washington to rebuild US-Turkish relations without setting a clear path for progress. Syria
Efforts to tie Trump’s hands on Iran, Saudi Arabia hold up key defense bill Congressional efforts to tie President Donald Trump’s hands on Middle East policy have helped stall negotiations as Democrats and Republicans struggle to pass annual spending and defense authorization legislation. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan’s US welcome sparks fear Trump will halt Turkey sanctions As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the White House today amid protest from Congress, aides in Congress and experts lose faith that President Donald Trump will impose automatic sanctions on Turkey for taking delivery of a Russian air defense system over four months ago. Turkey
Intel: What’s on the agenda for the Trump-Erdogan meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Washington to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House today amid an intense crisis between the two NATO allies. Turkey
How Palestinians view Trump refusal to resume PA security aid The Palestinians are certain that Trump’s refusal to resume financial support for Palestinian security is personal and has been going on for a while. Palestine
Million-dollar lobbying campaign against Kuwait suffers major setback A Kuwaiti court has sentenced a Russian businesswoman to 15 years of hard labor despite pressure from former US officials. Here's who's behind the campaign to release Marsha Lazareva. United Arab Emirates
Israel’s soft power victim of Netanyahu’s policies The absence of Israel from the Paris Peace Forum reflects the spirit of its leadership, belittling multinational initiatives and neglecting soft power tools. Israel