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
Natalie Portman touches a nerve in Israel with prize snub Academy Award-winning actor Natalie Portman has discovered that Israeli politicians are incapable of accepting legitimate criticism of the occupation. Palestine
How long can Saudi Arabia ignore Gaza protests? Saudi king clarifies approach to Jerusalem, but Arab League statement silent on the Gaza Strip; Will Macron and Merkel use North Korea as blueprint for US approach to JCPOA? Saudi Arabia
Iran FM: Trump administration 'never in' nuclear deal In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about Tehran’s potential response as the United States weighs pulling out of the nuclear deal. Yemen
US Syria effort hinges on unreliable Egypt The Donald Trump administration has reportedly asked Egypt to contribute money and troops to the Syria fight even as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has proven a challenging ally in battling the Islamic State at home. Egypt
US sanctions loom over defiant Turkey Congress is threatening to pursue targeted sanctions against Turkish officials as tensions heat up over the ongoing detainment of American Pastor Andrew Brunson. Turkey
Israeli Arabs torn on country’s Independence Day Head of the Arab Joint List party Ayman Odeh explains that for Israeli Arabs, Independence Day is cause for mourning. Palestine
Why Iran moved to unify dual exchange rates Iran’s government was left with no choice but to resort to unifying the official and open market currency exchange rates to tame the rial's slide during a currency crisis, which has spurred some positive efforts. Iran
Religious disputes escalate over upcoming Iraqi elections Religious leaders in Iraq are calling on voters to exercise caution in the upcoming elections and avoid casting votes for corrupt politicians. Iraq
Why are Turkey’s gold reserves on the rise? The Turkish central bank’s gold reserves have reached an unprecedented level of more than $25 billion under a strategy shift driven by a combination of financial strains and risks stemming from tensions with the United States. Turkey
Wafd Party elections raise issue of female empowerment in Egypt While five candidates contended for the leadership of the Wafd Party, none of them were women, which raised several questions about the future of women in Egyptian partisan life. Egypt
Egyptian mosque bill could pit government against top religious body The Egyptian government presented a draft bill to parliament to change the conditions of the use of endowments, which raised the ire of Al-Azhar. Egypt
Israel, Palestinians return to conflicting narratives While Israel celebrates its 70th birthday, the Palestinians mark 70 years of despair. Palestine
