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
Hundreds of Russian children found in Mideast orphanages Children ripped from their homes in Russia and secreted off by relatives said to be fighting for the Islamic State are now turning up abandoned in the Middle East. Iraq
Zarif: Europe will stick to nuclear deal if US abandons it Iran’s foreign minister asserts that Europe will continue implementing the nuclear deal even if the United States decides to abandon it. Iran
Losing faith in Rouhani, Iranian women ever defiant Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s failure to nominate a single female Cabinet minister is leading women to lose faith in his promises — but not hope in their future. Iran
Referendum rift unlikely to damage US-KRG ties As the date for an independence referendum scheduled by the Kurdistan Region of Iraq approaches, the United States increases pressure on the Kurdish parties to postpone the referendum. Iraq
Developing PKK kidnapping story concerns KRG officials As new details paint a much more intricate picture of the Turkish spy incident in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)'s operations there threaten to complicate the job of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Turkey
Iran keeping watchful eye on Iraqi Kurdistan, Israel Tehran openly opposes Iraqi Kurdistan's upcoming independence referendum, but many observers feel Iran is actually taking measures to counter Israeli actions in the Kurdish region. Iraq
Arabs and Jews unite against Netanyahu's divide and rule tactics Jewish and Arab activists are mobilizing to stop discriminatory and divisive policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestine
What Trump really wants for the Mideast The unrealistic statements by US envoy Jason Greenblatt about the Palestinian Authority's ruling the Gaza Strip again might indicate that US President Donald Trump does not have a realistic plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Egypt's alimony reform debate begins before bill is introduced A parliament member is looking to expedite the yearslong process Egyptian women often must go through to receive alimony when they file for divorce. Egypt
As Qatar-Bahrain rift widens, economic costs emerge Qatar’s economic and geopolitical separation from Bahrain and other GCC states will come with economic costs. Bahrain
Pro-Iranian Shiite factions lose popular support in Iraq The recent agreement between Hezbollah and a group of pro-Islamic State fighters to arrange their evacuation from the Lebanese-Syrian border to the Syrian-Iraqi border triggered an outburst of public anger against Hezbollah and Iraqi factions fighting alongside Hezbollah on Syrian territory for years. Iraq
Turkey adds to its critical deficit of military pilots As Turkey's military pilot shortage worsens, the government is ordering former pilots back into service on short notice. Turkey
