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
Khamenei’s message to the West An open letter from Iran's supreme leader to Western youth is another sign of the changes afoot in Iran and a decision by the country's leadership to counter Islamophobia. Iran
Death of Saudi king brings Lebanese leaders together Several Lebanese officials and delegations, including rivals of the kingdom, have visited Saudi Arabia to pay their condolences for the death of the Saudi king, possibly heralding new breakthroughs in the Lebanese crises. Saudi Arabia
Settlement funding: Likud betrays the poor Over the years, the Likud Party has preferred to grant vast funds to settlements, instead of caring for the weak and poor sectors, which got it to power in the first place. Palestine
War on Gulenists undermines Turkish diplomacy Ankara has canceled the authorization of 51 honorary consuls as part of its war on the Gulen movement while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presses African governments to shut down Gulenist-founded schools. Turkey
Criticism over Kerry-Zarif stroll did not disrupt Rouhani meeting Officials in the Hassan Rouhani administration have denied that the president stormed out of a meeting in anger after being criticized for the Geneva walk shared by Iran's top nuclear negotiator and the US secretary of state. Iran
Is the new National Guard the key to unifying Iraq? Proponents of an Iraqi National Guard envision it serving as a counterterrorism force, bringing militias under state control and helping rid the country of the Islamic State. Near East
Eyeing political gains, Kurds and Syriacs aim to mend old wounds At the grass-roots level, the alliance between Kurds and the Syriac community has led to bitter divisions. Turkey
Islamic Jihad takes mediator role between Hamas, Fatah Islamic Jihad is considering joining a Hamas-led administrative committee in Gaza, as it breaks its silence in a bid to resolve the Hamas-Fatah feud that's crippling the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Palestinian political unity welcomed for Israeli elections Palestinians in the occupied territories welcomed the decision by their brethren in Israel to form a joint list for the March elections. Palestine
Why Erdogan’s media sees British conspiracy in Somalia The delusional, conspiratorial narrative in Turkey’s pro-AKP media raises questions about the capacity of the ruling elites of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "New Turkey" to understand the world as it really is. Turkey
After Qaboos, who will be Oman's next sultan? Now that Saudi Arabia has seen its succession through, attention has moved to who will succeed Oman's Sultan Qaboos, who has been in Munich since the summer for unspecified health reasons. Saudi Arabia
Could Israel’s strike on Hezbollah in Syria spark Iran nuclear talks? The latest Israel-Hezbollah confrontation might be a catalyst for a nuclear deal between the P5+1 and Iran; Iran can ease Saudi Arabia’s security predicament; Netanyahu sees electoral gain in snubbing Obama. Saudi Arabia
