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
Too much at stake for full-on conflict in southern Syria Prioritizing de-escalation in southern Syria appears to be the regional consensus, but the rebels’ opposition to any deals could lengthen the process. Israel
How IDF chief shapes Israeli military The decision by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot not to promote Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter has sparked fury within the national religious stream. Israel
Trump's Israel-Palestine deal targets Saudi alliance, not peace President Donald Trump knows that in order to get the Saudis into a regional alliance with Israel against Iran, he must first present a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia
Abbas agrees to end death penalty, but Hamas objects Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a protocol to abolish the death penalty, but the measure faces opposition in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas continues to support the sentence. Palestine
US-Kuwait ties strained over Israel's response to Gaza protests Kuwait has been vocal against Israel’s violence against Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border, much to the dismay of the United States. Kuwait
Egypt braces for spillover from Turkey’s economic crisis With the Turkish lira hitting a new low against the dollar and Jordan freezing its free trade agreement with Ankara, will Egypt take revenge on Turkey by imposing duties on Turkish imports? Egypt
Congress seeks to hamstring US support for assault on Yemen port The Trump administration denies supporting the UAE’s offensive on Hodeidah, but lawmakers are skeptical. Saudi Arabia
Will pro-Erdogan columnist join ranks of jailed Turkish journalists? Turkey has reached a startling new height in locking up journalists, sentencing a prominent supporter of the president to 105 days behind bars for criticizing a long-dead known torturer. Turkey
How Russia-Israel engagement is benefiting Iran Russia’s engagement with Israel and the United States on Syria does not pose a direct threat against Iran, and it could even turn out to be beneficial for Tehran in several aspects. Syria
Iran’s Khatami urged to launch ‘reforms within reform movement' Amid signs of a decline in public support for Iran’s Reform movement, 100 activists have urged Reformist icon Mohammad Khatami to save the camp by initiating internal reforms. Iran
Turkey cultivating ever-deeper roots in Syrian territory Turkey continues setting up parallel structures in Syria, the latest being a branch of Harran University in al-Bab. Syria
Egyptian censors succumb to 'Karma' Egypt’s General Authority for Censorship made a swift U-turn after its ban on screenings of Khaled Youssef’s “Karma” was met with resistance, confusion and parliamentary pledges to investigate. Egypt
