After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Israelis, Palestinians secretly discuss French initiative Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas seem to discuss the French initiative for an international conference, though Netanyahu, unchanged, is not really interested in advancing negotiations with the Palestinians. Palestine
US seeks to block sanctioned Iranian airline’s flights into Europe The Obama administration is warning EU allies to shut out Mahan Air or risk US retaliation. Congress
How Iran's new petroleum contracts are producing more than oil Criticism of the general terms of the new Iran Petroleum Contract do not appear to be based on sound legal reasoning, but is rather the result of factionalism ahead of upcoming elections. Iran
Iran: Republicans wanted to delay prisoner swap The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Republicans reached out to Iran to delay the prisoner swap until the US presidential elections. Congress
Saudi Arabia turns to Turkey Following the visit of a Turkish delegation to Saudi Arabia, the kingdom hopes to establish economic and military ties with Turkey to counter the expanding Iranian influence in the region. Saudi Arabia
Can Erdogan bully Turkey's armed forces into invading Syria? Following his failure in Aleppo, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s eagerness for a military intervention in Syria is stronger than ever, but will the Turkish military acquiesce to his plans? Syria
How new restrictions block Palestinian peace activists from Israel New Israeli permit restrictions severely limit the ability of Palestinian activists to enter Israel to conduct peace-related activities. Palestine
How one Palestinian minister is empowering women Palestinian Minister of Women’s Affairs Haifa al-Agha speaks to Al-Monitor about her accomplishments in advocating for Palestinian women in society and her future endeavors to further empower women on social and political levels. Palestine
What else is going on in Netanyahu's house? Following the court's decision in favor of Meni Naftali, the ex-employee has disclosed that there are more details yet to be revealed about the dysfunction in the prime minister's residence. Israel
Syria's Sharia courts Sharia courts founded by armed groups in Syria are currently the sole judicial power in the areas outside the regime’s control. Syria
Why Netanyahu pretends to care for progressive Judaism The compromise over prayer space at the Western Wall for progressive Jews doesn't mean that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now on their side, but that he had no choice but to make a concession to the non-Orthodox. Israel
Obama's anti-IS envoy: Shiites saved Iraq President Obama's envoy praises all sides in a bid to keep the coalition together. Iraq
