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
Can Lebanon handle truth about Hariri, Saudi Arabia? Saad Hariri faces his own court of conscience; US-Iran relations revert to axis of evil days. Saudi Arabia
Iran emerges as health tourism destination An increasing number of foreign visitors enter Iran to either undergo medical treatment at specialized hospitals or to make use of traditional medicine. Iran
Russia's winning the war for Turkish public's trust Aided by the West's growing irritation with and neglect of Ankara, Moscow is convincing the Turkish public that Russia is its most reliable defense and security ally. Turkey
Why Erdogan now embraces Ataturk Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not claiming to undo Ataturk as many believe. He is rather re-doing Ataturk. Turkey
How is parliament supporting Sisi candidacy in 2018 elections? Members of Egypt's parliament took part in the "To build it" campaign and worked on postponing the discussion and approval of some draft laws that would negatively affect President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's popularity, as part of the efforts to endorse his candidacy for a second presidential term. Egypt
How Saudi regional moves impact Israel The Saudi desire to change its role from a behind-the-scenes player to a forefront leader pushes it to engage in the US-led Mideast peace initiative. Saudi Arabia
Baghdad increases pressure on KRG with budget cut By cutting the Kurdistan region’s share of the national budget for 2018, the Iraqi central government continues to implement punitive measures in response to the Kurdish independence referendum. Iraq
Militias crack down on social, cultural life in Libya A crack down on comic books and video games has pushed militias and civil society farther away from each other, prompting the youth to think about fleeing the country. Libya
Jordan, PA unite forces with Israel to fight natural disasters Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and other countries participated in a two-day firefighting exercise to build a regional disaster response system, yet some Palestinians criticized the drills as increasing normalization with Israel. Palestine
Jordan's tale of two cities: The mystery of 'new Amman' Jordanians have been unsure what to make of the planned city of “new Amman,” with a white elephant being a distinct possibility. Jordan
Will this Palestinian organization weather funding storm? The Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat decided to defund a Palestinian women’s organization on charges of incitement against Israel. Palestine
Will end of land-for-pay program kill Palestinian reconciliation? The announced suspension of the distribution of government-owned land in lieu of government salaries in Gaza is raising questions about the decision's impact on the reconciliation. Palestine
