Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ Fresh US strikes and Iranian retaliation deepen regional tensions, while Washington tightens sanctions, France pushes for a larger role in Lebanon, and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Russia in talks on 'reformatting' its military sites in Syria: What to know Moscow signals it wants to maintain its presence in Syria, where President Ahmed al-Sharaa recently said that Russian bases will be converted into training centers. Syria
Newsletter: Business & Tech Gulf investors eye payday ahead of SpaceX IPO The IPO could leave Saudi investors holding a combined stake worth well over $15 billion in one of the world’s most coveted technology companies. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Iran will 'pay the price’ for dragging out talks US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday, saying that Tehran had waited too long to reach a deal after the largest direct exchange of fire between the two countries since an April ceasefire. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Iran, Israel Need to Talk About Syria Meir Javedanfar writes that Iran, Hezbollah and Israel share a common and deadly enemy in Jabhat al-Nusra and radical Salafist groups, whose influence is growing. Israel
Iraq's Sunni-Shiite DivideAbout Governance Iraq needs a political solution that recognizes the grievances of Iraq's Sunni populations and regions, Harith Hasan writes. Iraq
Kurdish Group Gaining Autonomy In Northern Syria The Democratic Union Party is investing in autonomous institutions in Syrian Kurdistan while maintaining a relationship with the Syrian regime, Andrea Glioti reports from Qamishli. Syria
Royce Says US Arms Not Required to Defeat Assad Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, tells Barbara Slavin that the US should encourage Arab allies to provide the weapons needed to help rebels oust the Syrian government. Syria
Israel's Airstrikes on Syria May Prove Costly The attack in Syria may be considered a short term military success, but in the long run it might prove costly, based upon the lessons from previous Israeli military interventions, writes Shlomi Eldar. Israel
Erdogan Considers Israeli Strikes on Syria While the Turkish government keeps silent about the Israeli airstrikes in Syria, which may be the right course, Turkey’s regional policies hang in the balance, writes Tulin Daloglu. Israel
If Turkey Does Not Change Its Syria Policy … If Turkey doesn't change its partisan, sectarian approach to Syria, it will provoke further sectarian tensions among armed groups in Turkey and the region, writes Kadri Gursel. Syria
Is Erdogan Calling for Jihad In Turkey? Prime Minister Erdogan's May 5 speech, with its religious imagery and outrage about events in Syria, could be seen as a rallying cry for a Turkish religious obligation to fight the regime, writes Pinar Tremblay. Syria
Syria’s Music Wars Omar Adam Sayfo describes how both the Syrian government and the rebels have employed music as a weapon in the Syrian conflict. Syria
Israel's Moral Responsibility In Syria Israeli silence on the abduction of the two archbishops in Syria underlines the indifference of the Israeli public toward the fate of the Syrian people, writes Akiva Eldar. Israel
Do Israeli Airstrikes Play Into Assad's Hands? In an interview with Shlomi Eldar, professor Kais Firro, an authority on Syria and Lebanon, claims that the Syrian regime can finally argue that Israel is the puppet master behind the uprising. Israel
Do the US, Iran Agree on Red Line For Syrian Chemical Weapons? The US and Israel escalate the war in Syria; Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Khaled Meshaal; and Al-Monitor launches Iran Pulse. Israel