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
'Gezi generation' flees Turkey Well-educated, qualified young people from Turkey’s “Gezi generation,” which led mass anti-government protests in the summer of 2013, are increasingly emigrating to the West, having lost hope in the future of their country. Turkey
Fate of jailed Kurdish leader questioned as Turkey shuns peace As a showdown looms in Idlib between Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed opposition rebels, Ankara faces the prospect of further turmoil, while long-stalled Turkish-Kurdish talks seem unlikely to be revived nearly 20 years after Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan was jailed. Syria
Mandatory hijab hunger strike enters 50th day An Iranian activist, Farhad Meysami, under arrest in Evin Prison for openly opposing mandatory veiling, has been on a hunger strike for 50 days. Iran
Iranians lash out at preferential treatment of pilgrims While many Iranians have criticized the authorities’ decision to allow visa fees for the Arbaeen pilgrimage to be paid at the secondary foreign currency market rate, the move could, in reality, be filling the administration’s coffers. Iraq
Meet the woman who could lead Israel’s right-wing camp Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, seen as the person who would replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the leader of Israel's right wing, comes under major fire from the center-left. Israel
How Israeli right lays claim to religion The recently adopted nationality law is only the latest example of a long string of efforts to exploit and pressure Israelis by linking political views to religious beliefs. Israel
Trump’s Iran envoy blasts Tehran missile work, downplays prospects for NY meeting Brian Hook, the US special envoy on Iran, said any new agreement with Iran would have to curb Iran’s transfer of ballistic missile technology. United States
Turkish court keeps former NASA scientist in prison NASA scientist Serkan Golge, in jail on coup-plot charges, lost an initial appeal to a Turkish court. His wife believes he is a captive in Ankara’s feud with Washington, which has flexed diplomatic and economic muscle to free another jailed American. Turkey
Iranian singer's 'sickening' anti-Islam post embarrasses hard-liners An Iranian singer supported by the country's hard-liners has become a source of embarrassment after he greatly offended Shiite Islam in a social media post. Iran
Backlash in Iraq over chants glamorizing Saddam in Algeria Praising former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during a soccer match between Iraq and Algeria has angered Iraqis and is affecting the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Iraq
Plane shot down over Syria puts Russia-Israel relations to the test A Russian plane downed by Syrian missiles responding to an Israeli strike has strained relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv and sent both sides into crisis-management mode. Israel
Idlib still wary of attack despite Turkish-Russian agreement Despite the Turkish-Russian agreement on a buffer zone in Idlib, the opposition-held city is preparing for an attack by the regime. Syria
