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
War-averse Trump looks for off ramp with Iran President Donald Trump “really wants to avoid a war,” former Trump National Security Council official Fred Fleitz said. United States
Russia offers to mediate in Syria-Lebanon maritime border dispute With its bid to mediate a Lebanon-Syria maritime dispute, Moscow is opening a new venue for engagement in the Levant. Lebanon
Iran: We gave 'multiple warnings' before downing drone Iranian officials have made statements to reduce tensions following the downing of an American drone off Iran's southern coast. United States
Turkey mulls permanent military presence in northern Iraq Turkey is considering setting up additional military infrastructure in Iraqi Kurdistan as its operations against militants there continue. Iraq
Will Syrian voters be kingmakers in Istanbul's mayoral election? Though small in number, the votes of naturalized Syrians in Turkey could be decisive in the rerun election to select the new mayor of Istanbul, the city with the largest Syrian population outside Syria. Syria
Greek Orthodox Church loses appeal on leases to settler group Israel's Supreme Court validated a controversial deal by the Greek Orthodox Church to lease real estate in Jerusalem's Old City to the pro-settlement group Ateret Cohanim. Palestine
Battle for Tripoli appears destined to grind on in Libya Since Libya’s eastern military commander Khalifa Hifter launched his April offensive against the capital Tripoli in the west, little progress has been made, while continuing attempts at peace have failed. Libya
Iraqi parliamentary groupings join hands in bid to oust Abdel Mahdi A bloc of Iraqi political parties comes together to form a strong opposition against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in an apparent bid to remove him from office. Iraq
Kirkuk court issues arrest warrant for acting governor An integrity court in Kirkuk has issued an arrest warrant for Rakan Saeed al-Jabouri, the acting governor of Kirkuk, on financial corruption charges. Iraq
Egypt considers pros, cons of foreign citizenship changes Some in Egypt welcome proposed changes to citizenship laws for foreigners, saying they will increase investment in the country. Others harbor suspicions of ulterior motives. Egypt
Egypt debates customary marriage, polygamy The Egyptian Catholic Church recently announced that it needs to further study the unified personal status law proposals, at a time when customary marriage and polygamy remain under debate for Muslims. Egypt
Was Morsi’s brief presidency an opportunity lost for Israel? The late Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi hated Israel, but his relationship with Hamas held the promise of negotiating a long-term truce between the organization and Israel and potentially altering the landscape in Gaza. Palestine
