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
Foreign investments slip as Lebanon remains in crisis In addition to stability and electing a president, a series of reforms is necessary to stop the regression of Lebanon’s economy. Lebanon
Does Iraq's president hold any real power? Iraqis are watching to see if new President Fouad Massoum will take the initiative and restore the privileges of the president’s position. Iraq
Tunnel intelligence failure a wake-up call for Israel The magnitude of the Hamas tunnel network was not correctly assessed by the military and caught Israel by surprise, after which the Security Cabinet approved the ground operation, wishing the international community understood Israel's need to eradicate this threat. Palestine
Moscow treads lightly in Gaza Though Moscow undoubtedly disapproves of Israel’s harsh actions in Gaza, it's being careful not to take an anti-Israel stance. Palestine
Hezbollah, Hamas repair political ties during breakup The fraught relations between Hezbollah and Hamas could come to an end as Israel continues its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Iran dominates Iraqi market after occupation of Mosul Doors closed to the markets of Turkey and Syria after militants took the town of Mosul, leading to a jump in prices for consumers, but a surge in imported Iranian goods could plug the gaps. Iraq
Egypt campaigns against atheism The Egyptian government begins a new program to combat the rise of atheism; however, activists question whether this increase is even real. Egypt
Echoes of apocalypse in Iraq conflict Conflictingn parties' view of the current crisis in Iraq is affected by their own religious views and interpretation of the end of times. Iraq
New moves by Saudi Arabia, Qatar signal drive for cease-fire Regional capitals are seeing intense diplomatic activity, while regional powers and Washington agree on the need to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible. Qatar
Why Islamic State is no al-Qaeda clone The announcement by the Islamic State of the caliphate and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s self-proclamation as the caliph sets IS apart from Al-Qaeda. Iraq
Peshmerga to 'fill in' for Iraqi army in disputed areas The secretary-general of the Ministry of Peshmerga, Jabbar Yawar, said in an interview with Al-Monitor that the peshmerga forces are merely taking defensive positions against armed groups and have not seized the Iraqi army’s weapons. Iraq
Iran’s Reformist papers accused of lackluster Gaza coverage Conservative media outlets in Iran have attacked Reformist news organizations for failing to report on the conflict in Gaza, prompting the editors to defend their coverage. Palestine
