Analysis Iran’s Pickaxe mountain tests limits of Trump’s military options A secretive Pentagon innovation agency has hastened to test munitions that may penetrate deeper than the GBU-57 bombs dropped on Iran’s two main enrichment facilities. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Netanyahu threatens to sue Haaretz for reporting UAE warned Israel of Oct. 7 attack The Emirati president reportedly warned that a planned attack could cause bloodshed, destabilize the region and threaten the Abraham Accords. Israel
Brent crude sails past $100 as Middle East war intensifies The Iran war escalated this week as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked four southern Saudi Arabian cities and oil facilities. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Israel braces for Iran attack as Trump’s economic squeeze on Tehran intensifies Skeptical about the effectiveness of the American economic blockade on Tehran to weaken the regime, Israel is preparing for the possibility that Iran could decide to strike the Jewish state during the upcoming high holidays. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Playing for time: Despite US pressure, Israel stalls Lebanon talks until after election By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
US election 2016: Trump seals the deal Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of July 18. United States
Planning for the 'day after' Mosul As preparations advance to retake Mosul from IS, defense and foreign ministers from some 30 nations met in Washington to plan how to provide humanitarian relief and services for hundreds of thousands of people expected to be displaced. Iraq
Fethullah Gulen stirs fresh tensions between Ankara, Washington Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is clamoring for the head of Fethullah Gulen, but Washington says adhering to legal procedures is paramount before Gulen can be extradited to stand trial for masterminding the coup attempt in Turkey. Turkey
Kerry: Critics of Obama administration's Syria policy 'completely screwed up' US secretary of state says the terrorist attack in Nice “could just as well have come from [Jabhat al-] Nusra”; Erdogan refers to coup attempt as a "gift from God" to "cleanse" army. Syria
US election 2016: Global chaos upends US election Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of July 11. United States
Channel to monitor Iranian procurement awaits real test A new organization created by the Iran nuclear deal is waiting for foreign companies to seek approval to sell Iran nuclear-related goods and services and other items with possible military applications. United States
Kerry, Putin meet to salvage Syria peace talks US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin July 14 to see if they could reach an agreement on a US plan to deepen US-Russian coordination on Syria. Syria
Iran takes page from US Treasury’s playbook Having spent two years on negotiating the nuclear deal, it seems that Iran’s foreign minister is now focusing his efforts on making sure that the JCPOA is effectively implemented. United States
Iranian negotiator: Blocking sale of planes is violation of deal Is the question of the sale of Boeing aircraft to Iran a make or break issue for the nuclear deal? United States
Jabhat al-Nusra 'al-Qaeda's largest formal affiliate in history' Testimony by US official comes as Amnesty International report documents “abduction, torture and summary killings” committed by Jabhat al-Nusra and allied Syrian armed groups. Egypt
Is Egypt’s Sisi hoping for Trump win? Although Donald Trump's stance on the Muslim Brotherhood is in line with that of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the presumptive Republican nominee's statements on Muslims in general have decreased his popularity in Egypt. Egypt
US election 2016: Hillary dodges email server bullet The FBI exonerated Hillary Clinton on the email scandal, but Republicans are no less hungry to make the Democratic presidential candidate pay for her "extremely careless" actions. United States