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
Yemen’s Houthis grant UN inspectors access to aging oil tanker Experts say the FSO Safer, a dilapidated vessel that contains more than a million barrels of light crude oil, is at risk of rupturing and spilling more oil than the Exxon Valdez. Yemen
Iran's president says post-Trump de-escalation with US can be 'easy' President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran could ease tensions with the new US administration, only one day after Iran’s supreme leader expressed disappointment at negotiations. Iran
Is Turkey gearing up for military move against Syrian Kurds? A marked increase in Turkish military activity in the area between Ain Issa and Tall Tamer in northern Syria has raised the specter of a fresh Turkish military move to curb the Kurds before Trump leaves the White House. Syria
Will the Ethiopian conflict affect UAE-Egyptian relations? As the conflict escalates between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray region, the United Arab Emirates' support for the Ethiopian regime threatens to strain Emirati-Egyptian relations. United Arab Emirates
Rep. Tlaib accused of anti-Semitism for comments on Biden pick The Michigan congresswoman said she hopes Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state will not go after boycotts of Israel. Israel
Women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to stand trial in Saudi Arabia Loujain al-Hathloul will appear in a Saudi court Wednesday more than two years after she was first detained in a crackdown on human rights defenders. Saudi Arabia
Family appeals conviction in Lockerbie bombing in Scottish court A lawyer for the family of the late Libyan intelligence officer Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, convicted in the 1988 plane bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, argues there was insufficient evidence to convict him. Libya
Iran taps into emergency fund to compensate Ukraine flight victims The Islamic Republic is to pay families of the victims of the Ukrainian flight it downed earlier this year. But the payment has been secured not from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for the missile attack but from an emergency fund meant for the public interest. Iran
COVID-19 breaks records in Turkey as health experts call for tighter controls New daily COVID-19 rates hit record highs four days in a row in Turkey, prompting local health officials to call for more stringent social distancing measures. Turkey
Netanyahu, MBS concur on Iran, but normalization no closer In their briefly secret meeting in Neom, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed on the common threat from Iran, but did not make progress toward normalization. Saudi Arabia
Archive Upfront from Nov 23, 2020 Biden’s new secretary of state ready to take on the Middle East Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's choice to lead the State Department, has worked alongside Biden for nearly two decades. United States
Gantz slams Netanyahu over leak of alleged secret meeting with Saudi crown prince Saudi and Israeli sources have confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew yesterday to Saudi Arabia and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, leaked news that Defense Minister Benny Gantz called irresponsible. Saudi Arabia
