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
Former Iran Central Bank chairman denies ever meeting Zarrab The former head of Iran’s Central Bank said he never met with jailed Turkish-Iranian tycoon Reza Zarrab. Turkey
Sisi performs balancing act in wake of Trump's Jerusalem move Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been careful to strike a delicate balance between allowing public condemnation of Trump's decision and not letting protests get out of hand. Palestine
Will Erdogan’s Jerusalem campaign succeed? Erdogan’s supporters are among those who fear his vociferous campaign against the United States and Israel will leave him disappointed and regionally isolated. Israel
Was Trump's Jerusalem declaration a honey trap? The presentation of a serious US blueprint for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a permanent status arrangement is the only hope of saving the peace process. Palestine
Putin's visit to Egypt inspires hope for growth in Cairo Egypt could be seeing the revival of an otherwise lackluster alliance with Russia, a potential relationship that has much to offer both sides. Egypt
Arab leaders plan major response to Trump's Jerusalem move As public anger has yet to subside over Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Palestine are meeting to discuss actions to be taken in this regard. Palestine
Has US given up on Middle East diplomacy? US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calls on Saudis to "consider consequences" of actions; Is Lebanese President Michel Aoun making the right call on Hariri? Saudi Arabia
Moscow’s leverage in Syria is strong, but limited Many believe Russia aims to be the ringmaster of the Syrian show, but currently Moscow is walking a tightrope tethered between opposing forces. Syria
Clashes escalate across Palestine in response to Trump's Jerusalem move Following US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Palestinians took took to the streets in protest for a second day as clashes with Israeli forces increased. Palestine
US elite troop training in Iraq lags after Mosul The United States and its allies aren’t training elite counterterrorism forces fast enough to replace the losses incurred in the brutal fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Europe might step in if Trump's Mideast initiative fails If the Middle East initiative of US President Donald Trump fails, French President Emmanuel Macron could launch his own initiative for a two-state solution in 2018. Palestine
As calls for disbanding Iraq's PMU rise, its influence expands The voices of Iraq's Western allies are rising against the Popular Mobilization Units, demanding the dissolution of these forces, while the PMU is expanding its influence in the Iraqi state, making Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi face tough choices. Iraq