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
Europe emerges as new sponsor of Mideast peace The European Union reassured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about European support for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, but will the United States and Israel allow other parties to be involved in the Middle East peace process? Palestine
US-Palestinian rift nothing for Israel to celebrate Israel shouldn’t rejoice over rift between the United States and the Palestinians as previous US administrations helped repeatedly to ease tensions and end violent clashes. Palestine
It's one Renaissance Dam thing after another Ethiopia has rejected Egypt's suggestion to get the World Bank involved in so far unsuccessful negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile River. Egypt
Growing anger in Israel over refugee deportation Israeli academics, pilots and Holocaust survivors joined protests against the government’s decision to deport by force African asylum-seekers. Israel
GCC's silence on Turkey’s Afrin adventure is telling The Sunni Gulf states have failed to make a unified statement on Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in Syria, a sign of their competing interests. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt makes it easier for churches to obtain licenses Egypt is allowing unlicensed Christian churches to operate while they go through the permitting process, which the country also is trying to streamline. Egypt
Russia’s role in Turkish incursion into Syria is tricky Turkey’s ironically named Operation Olive Branch, its latest quest to crush the Kurds on its border, will likely affect Moscow’s carefully engineered Syrian peace process. Syria
US, Europe huddle on Iran after Trump ultimatum The United States and major European powers are holding working group consultations to explore cooperation on Iran, but the Europeans say they will not renegotiate the nuclear deal. United States
Most Turks welcome army’s incursion into Kurdish-controlled northern Syria Many Turks are rallying behind the military operation launched over the weekend to undo the Syrian Kurds’ advances across the border, while activists accuse the government of criminalizing dissent. Syria
Iran's absence at Davos sparks speculation Following reports that he had canceled his trip, Iran’s Foreign Ministry claims Mohammad Javad Zarif never planned to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this year. Iran
Iran's conservatives step up scrutiny on university students Principlists consolidate state control over Islamic Azad University in the aftermath of the recent protests in Iran. Iran
Tunisia protests highlight worrying decline in press freedoms Freedom of the press is at risk in Tunisia's post-revolution atmosphere, as violence against journalists rises amid a government crackdown. Tunisia
