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
Internet, social media a ‘scourge’ for Erdogan The Turkish prime minister’s campaign against the Internet is worrying democracy and free media advocates. Turkey
Olmert's political comeback crumbles The grand political plans of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suffered a mortal blow with the testimony of his former confidante Shula Zaken, leaving the center-left without a leader for the next elections. Palestine
Ultra-Orthodox alliance put to test in municipal election New municipal elections in Beit Shemesh will test the power of a new alliance of ultra-Orthodox factions. Israel
Still banned from Turkey For the second time since 2007, Turkey denied an Al-Monitor contributor entry because of his work as a journalist on Kurdish issues. Iraq
Yemen hit with plague of commissions Yemeni politicians are fond of forming commissions as a means to dealing with problems, but those commissions rarely produce any results. Yemen
Bitter Maliki-Nujaifi exchanges strain political system With Iraqi parliamentary elections set to take place in less than two months, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's relationships with both Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani are going from bad to worse. Iraq
Hamas debates technocrat government in Gaza The loss of financial support from Iran has reportedly contributed to Gaza's current crisis, according to Hamas sources. Palestine
Iranian weapons shipment no 'tiebreaker' The rollout of Israel's seizure of a ship carrying Iranian arms may have disappointed Israeli leaders looking for a public relations windfall. Palestine
9/11 plotter released in Syria prisoner exchange Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham has secured the release of 9/11 plotter and alleged al-Qaeda core member Mohammed Haydar Zammar, adding to concerns about the composition of the Islamic Front. Syria
Iranian activists say celebrating Women's Day is 'not enough' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has appointed women to his cabinet, but his administration must do a lot more to address discrimination against women in Iran. Iran
Watch Trendlines “Blowback?: Ukraine and the Middle East" The next PBS NewsHour-Al-Monitor web special will focus on the implications of the crisis in Ukraine for US policy in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia
What next for Qatar and the GCC? Following the decision by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to withdraw their ambassadors from Qatar, will Doha reassess its foreign policy to ensure it can continue playing the vital role of mediator in thorny regional issues? Saudi Arabia
