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
Delivering $1 billion aid to Yemen faces difficulties More than $1 billion in humanitarian aid has been pledged by international partners for Yemen, but whether it can be delivered is a separate issue. Yemen
Gaza to see forced military retirement in June The Palestinian Authority will begin forcing about half of its military staff in the Gaza Strip to retire in a move it hopes will ease its financial crisis and put pressure on Hamas, despite fears that the move is likely to make both situations worse. Palestine
Trump visits Saudi Arabia, Kremlin shrugs Russia may be keeping quiet publicly about Donald Trump’s relations with Saudi Arabia, but Trump’s recent trip to the kingdom raises some interesting questions for Moscow. Saudi Arabia
Egypt-Saudi ties could be key to Trump’s Mideast 'ultimate deal' Egypt's disputed transfer of the Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia may be one part of an overall peace deal involving Israel. Saudi Arabia
Israeli right convinced Netanyahu will soon swerve left The Israeli right-wing camp suspects that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already closed a deal with President Donald Trump over talks with the Palestinians. Palestine
Egypt's Al-Azhar looks to 'cafe preachers' to spread its message Egypt's most influential religious institution hopes to gain a wider audience and counter radical ideas by sending preachers to the coffee shops. Egypt
Iran follows Russia’s lead in backing Syria safe zones Russia’s proposal legitimates Iranian military role in Syria; supreme leader hails victory for "Islamic democracy"; Turkish intervention in Sinjar could disrupt Mosul liberation plans; Egypt’s media crackdown. Egypt
Turkey making itself at home in Syria Turkey is looking less like a visitor in northern Syria as it sets up more permanent facilities and resettles Turkmens in certain areas. Syria
Iran questions US pivot back to region as Europe embraces Rouhani While the United States is increasingly engaged in a war of words with Iran, the bigger story may be the impact Washington’s more hawkish line may have on Europe’s approach toward Tehran and the consequences of a suggested US pivot back to the Middle East not materializing. Saudi Arabia
Civic groups press to revive Kurdish peace efforts in Turkey After much bloodshed and destruction, a fledgling civic initiative in Turkey is seeking to bring Turks and Kurds closer to open the way for a fresh settlement effort to end the decadeslong Kurdish conflict. Turkey
Iraq fears famed marshes could be pulled from World Heritage List Amid serious concern about the violations against Iraq’s marshes, it is possible the marshes will be removed from the World Heritage List. Iraq
US mulls how best to control pro-Iran factions in Mideast The United States and the Gulf states seem to agree that Tehran and its allies need to be contained to keep Iran from aggressively expanding once the Islamic State is driven out of the region. Iraq
