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
How will Sinjar crisis end as tensions mount between Baghdad, Ankara? Ankara's insistence on combating the Kurdistan Workers Party may push Baghdad to take the lead on cleansing northern Iraq of the Kurdish militia, a scenario that presents a new internal crisis in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Iran condemns chemical weapons attacks, denies Syria’s role Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said that it was not logical for the Syrian army to use chemical weapons while it had the upper hand in the field of battle. Syria
Culture alert: Gaza conflict spills over to cinema festivals Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival has invited Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi as its guest of honor, while, farther west, Palestinian artists are boycotting the Istanbul Film Festival for refusing to drop an Israeli-government-backed sponsor, Art Israel. Palestine
Netanyahu’s U-turn on migrant deal shows power of his base Supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forced him to back away from the deal, which he himself had boasted of, with the United Nations. Israel
Israel's Labor Party pays price for political integrity Even if some media ridiculed the Labor Party's leaders for their support of the government's agreement with the United Nations — which was canceled four hours after it was signed — the leaders were right to stick to the party's human rights agenda as a compass. Israel
How Netanyahu plans to bypass High Court rulings Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of coalition partner HaBayit HaYehudi are advancing a clause that would enable to Knesset to override High Court rulings with an absolute majority. Israel
Conditioning American withdrawal from Syria Now that President Donald Trump has announced US forces will be soon leaving Syria, the administration must rethink its previously stated conditions for withdrawal. Israel
Turkey’s economic woes open cracks in government ranks Amid failing efforts to halt the slump of the Turkish lira, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and senior Cabinet members appear increasingly at loggerheads over how to keep the economy afloat. Turkey
Russia sees benefit of nudging Turkey on to Manbij in Syria Despite their divergent strategic goals, the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey have agreed to work together in Syria while further excluding the United States from the decision-making process. Syria
Turkish TV paints Kurds as villains Turkish audiences watch TV series more regularly than they watch the news — and the habit seems to be making Turkey's divide worse. Turkey
Ankara summit focuses on Syria's fate once war ends The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey reassured each other that they are the "big three" of the Syrian peace talks and discussed their mission to resolve the civil war. Syria
US ramps up counter-WMD spending amid Mideast proliferation threats The Pentagon is putting $6 million into countering weapons of mass destruction in five Middle Eastern countries, as US special operations forces take control of the fight. Syria
