Oman's sultan meets Macron in first France visit since 1989: What to know French President Emmanuel Macron has been pushing against any form of toll for the Strait of Hormuz. Iran
Analysis Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil Turkey and Egypt are expanding military cooperation as overlapping security challenges, from Libya and Sudan to Gaza and the Red Sea, bring the former rivals closer together. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Vance turning us into 'punching bag': Israel fumes over alleged IRGC-CENTCOM channel in Doha The US-Iran decision to launch direct talks between the IRGC and CENTCOM in Qatar deepens the rift between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while heightening Israeli fears that Washington is shifting toward Doha and Tehran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Iran attacks cargo ship off Oman, testing Trump’s Hormuz Strait deal The first Iranian attack on a cargo vessel since the ceasefire comes as top US diplomat Marco Rubio huddled with Gulf Cooperation Council ministers in Manama to reject Iran's claims to control the Strait of Hormuz. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
CENTCOM commander heads to Israel, Gulf as Lebanon talks stall By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis As US reshapes Lebanon strategy, Israel finds itself sidelined By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Analysis Why Gulf defense firms are betting on Europe in wake of Iran war By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Pentagon holds out hope of salvaging military sales to Turkey Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said today that he expects the Pentagon to deliver the Patriot air defense system to Turkey even as Ankara eyes a fall installation date for the Russian S-400. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdish fighters dealt setback in Pentagon budget The Pentagon is set to slash salaries for the Iraqi peshmerga in its new budget. Iraq
Uighur debate shows shifting influence in Turkish policies Differences of opinion within the Turkish security bureaucracy on how to react to China’s treatment of Uighur Turks reveal competing camps. Turkey
Key senator looks to block Apache sale to Egypt over injured American Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is calling for the State Department to hold a billion-dollar US helicopter sale to Egypt until Cairo pays for the medical bills of an American wounded in a 2015 attack. Egypt
Putin, Aoun discuss Syrian refugee crisis, regional issues President Putin and President Aoun hold wide-ranging talks, including about the return of refugees to Syria, and Lebanon indicates that despite its issues with Washington, strong US-Lebanese government ties are going to continue. Lebanon
Border wall fight could jeopardize funding for US bases in the Middle East The fight over funding for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall could impact key US bases in the Middle East. United Arab Emirates
Pentagon sustains budget for arming local anti-IS forces amid US pullout The Donald Trump administration's envoy for Syria issues said the United States is keeping “very limited” numbers of troops in the country as the Pentagon continues to build up the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Syria
Russia expects to maintain footprint in Algeria despite unrest In Moscow, the Algerian and Russian foreign ministers discussed the North African country's domestic political crisis, their mutual dislike for foreign intervention and the need to elevate bilateral ties. Algeria
As US hints at plans to reduce troops, Iraqi MPs divided on what comes next US troops in Iraq are unlikely to leave the country en masse due to US long-term plans to stay, and the sharp disagreement between Iraqi politicians regarding the presence of foreign forces in the country continues apace. Iraq
US singles out ‘mafia’-like groups as key threat to Iraq’s future In exclusive interviews with Al-Monitor at the State Department, two top State Department officials lay out US policy goals as Iraq seeks normalize and balance ties with Iran and its other neighbors while seeking to prevent a return of the Islamic State. Iraq
Cairo's backing for Sudan's embattled president comes with strings attached Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, wary of protests in Khartoum, is backing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, but to what extent? Egypt
Barzani: Russia key to settlement between Assad and Syrian Kurds Manbij leaders prefer the United States, but would rather deal with Russia and Syria than Turkey; Amberin Zaman gets exclusive access to a prison for IS terrorists; did HTS force the resignation of a Syrian opposition leader?; Syrians protest Turkish truckers; Rouhani’s meeting with Sistani is "crowning achievement" of trip to Iraq. Iraq
