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
Kharazi sparks controversy within Reformist camp Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Kharazi, who has founded a new political Reformist group, has stirred controversy with comments that he someday might expose names of Reformists who in the past had contacts with Americans. Iran
Former US ambassador: There won't be peace in Syria without prosecution of Assad In Stephen Rapp's first interview since leaving office, the recently resigned US ambassador-at-large and chief of the State Department’s Office of Global Criminal Justice says progress is being made on amassing documentation of the "hell" in Syria. Syria
Kuwait's Sunnis question fellow Shiites' loyalties Kuwait is experiencing heightened Sunni-Shiite tensions, but the country's position in the region may make it difficult to address them should the situation worsen. Legacy: Gulf
Controversy over plan to reform Israeli public broadcasting Minister Ofir Akunis, who is responsible for reforming public broadcasting, tells Al-Monitor that contrary to accusations by the left, his reform plan is designed to rebuild an independent entity, reflecting more "balanced" views. Israel
Is Palestinian soccer head playing a political game? Palestinian Football Association Head Jibril Rajoub claimed that Israel prevented West Bank entry of Palestinian soccer players, but Israel argues that it was Rajoub who created an incident so he could score political points. Palestine
Possible EU sanctions alarm Israeli banks Following the recommendation of a prominent think tank, Israeli investors fear that the European Union will decide to "mark" Israeli banks that operate in the West Bank, devastating the entire Israeli banking system. Palestine
Is Turkey's 'emergency rule' back? With increasing tensions in the region, declaring 37 areas "provisional security zones" off-limits to civilians is seen by some as a resurrection of Turkey's emergency rule. Turkey
Hamas concludes first-ever military training camp for girls Hamas’ women's movement is now organizing female-only training camps to strengthen young women's affiliation with Hamas' values and goals. Palestine
Rafsanjani's son enters prison amid media circus Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani's son, entered Evin prison to serve a 10-year sentence for corruption. Iran
Declining Israeli prison conditions may escalate tension with Palestine Sanctions imposed on Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails have pushed prisoners to go on a hunger strike until their demands are met. Palestine
How Iran deal could bring multilateralism to Middle East As the Joint Cooperative Plan of Action comes into effect, the region could see the emergence of a new era of greater cooperation by all regional actors, including Iran. Syria
Islamic State ups rhetoric against Ankara Following a Turkish-American deal allowing US warplanes to use Incirlik Air Base in the fight against the Islamic State, the terrorist group has lashed out at the ruling AKP government. Syria
