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
Israel's Knesset in limbo The decision to hold new elections in September has thrown the Israeli parliament and government into political limbo. Israel
Netanyahu needs a miracle Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confronted with an almost impossible mission: winning the new elections with at least 40 Knesset seats, composing a majority without Avigdor Liberman and convincing coalition partners to legislate quickly the immunity law. Israel
New Israeli elections throw wrench in US peace plan With a new Israeli government unlikely to be formed until late October, as the US 2020 presidential campaign heats up, the Trump administration is increasingly unlikely to present the political component of its peace vision before a second term, analysts and diplomats said. Israel
Turkey to end draft — for those who can pay A proposed bill to change Turkey's conscription practices has stirred fierce debate and warnings from military experts. Turkey
Iranian MPs move to grant citizenship to children of foreign fathers Iranian lawmakers passed a bill that would grant citizenship to children in Iran born to Iranian mothers and foreign fathers. If approved by the Guardian Council, the bill would put an end to years of discrimination against women in the country’s nationality law. Iran
Khamenei: US views talks as ‘tactic’ in pressure strategy Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected calls to renegotiate the nuclear deal with the United States despite the campaign of pressure and sanctions. Iran
Failure to ensure equity sows seeds of conflict, UN development chief says In an interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the UN Development Program discusses his agency’s work in conflict zones like Syria and the future of multilateralism. Syria
Voters’ economic confidence dips ahead of key Istanbul vote Turkey’s consumer confidence index, which also reflects voter confidence, has plunged to a record low ahead of a critical rerun of the mayoral election in Istanbul next month. Turkey
Syrian government, opposition swap 36 more prisoners A new prisoner swap between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian government took place at al-Eiss crossing, while the Syrian opposition is looking for more exchanges in the future. Syria
Likud blindly obeys Netanyahu The obedient vote by the Likud Party’s Knesset faction to dissolve the parliament, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s needs and wishes, shows the current state of Israel’s ruling party — one of being in an era of a strongman who has turned the Likud into a one-man band. Israel
Saudi Arabia’s new 'freedom' gas Saudi Arabia has partnered with a US company to export LNG from Texas, and is looking for more LNG deals. Saudi Arabia
