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
Iraqi Religious Leaders Nix Maliki's Electoral Plans Shiite authorities in Najaf have sided with the prime minister's oppenents over the country's new electoral law, hampering Maliki’s chances of dominating the next government. Iraq
Ankara Warns Against Kurdish Autonomy in Syria While the Kurdistan Democratic Union (PYD) takes control of Syrian territory close to the Turkish border, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warns Kurds against declaring an autonomous Kurdistan. Syria
Iran-Saudi Relations Under Rouhani President-elect Hassan Rouhani's expected pursuit of pragmatic foreign and regional policies should lead to improved relations and cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood Is in Shock Over Egypt Jordan's government is feeling confident after Mohammed Morsi's fall in Egypt, which may demoralize the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt
Israeli Official Report: No Rule of Law In Occupied Territories The Israeli state comptroller’s report stating that the law isn’t being enforced in the settlements is only an earth-shattering revelation to Israelis and the Israeli media, who have ignored what is going on across the Green Line for the past years. Israel
Syrian Kurds Prepare For Self-Governance The PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party is consulting the political parties of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq on plans to form an interim government for Kurdish-controlled enclaves in Syria. Iraq
Turkey Adds Fuel to Fight Of Iraqi Kurds for Independence Despite Turkey’s age-old fear of Kurdish independence in contiguous regions near its border, energy ties are growing between Turkey and Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Iraq
New Religious Campaign Targets Baghdad's Cafes Authorities in Baghdad have begun to encroach on personal freedoms, closing cafes even when they only serve coffee and tea after Ramadan fasting is over. Iraq
Reality Check For Egypt’s Revolution The co-founder of Egypt’s Al Dostor, National Association for Change and El Ghad Parties argues that the new government is on the right path of compromise. Egypt
No Longer 'Sick Man,' Turkey Is Lonely, Tired Just as it was branded as the “sick man of Europe" in the 19th century, Turkey is now called the “lonely man of Middle East,” spelling serious consequences for the entire regional system. Turkey
Hamas Hopes Iran's Rouhani Will Renew Ties The election of moderate Hassan Rouhani in Iran might open the door for repairing ties with Hamas. Palestine
Amid Yemeni Unification Efforts,Houthis Remain Delicate Issue As various Yemeni factions strive to reach a national consensus and achieve progress in the post-revolution period, the separatist Houthi movement in the north remains contentious. Yemen
