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
Former Iraqi PM: US could have stopped IS with 2008 security deal In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki discussed the country's relationship with the United States, the ongoing battle against the Islamic State and the role of the Popular Mobilization Units. Iraq
How Al-Azhar plans to strike back against 'fatwa chaos' Egypt's Al-Azhar faces an uphill battle to confront religious extremism as it continues its efforts to launch a TV channel that promotes moderate Islam. Egypt
How Netanyahu's government is unifying Israeli Arabs Members of the Joint List feel that coalition head David Bitan's insulting Israeli Arabs is backfiring and instead strengthening and uniting the Israeli Arab sector. Israel
Does Netanyahu count on leftist NGOs to save him? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't feel the need to publicly oppose the settlement regularization law and anger the right because he thinks the left will do that work for him and win. Palestine
Iranian-Turkish tug-of-war over Kurds Allegations of Iranian support for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have created fresh tension in the region as Turkey faces new violence from Kurdish militants. Iraq
Egypt's shrinking space for civil society The Egyptian government crackdown on civil society organizations has intensified with the arrest of a prominent human rights lawyer. Egypt
Turkey moves against HDP after Istanbul attack After the attack in Istanbul claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, the Turkish government launched raids to detain more than 200 people, including Kurdish leaders. Turkey
Why do Iran's conservatives oppose deals with Boeing, Hyundai? Iranian conservatives denounce the billion-dollar deals with Boeing and South Korea’s Hyundai to modernize Iran’s air and shipping fleets after years of sanctions. United States
How Iraq's PMU law is disrupting national unity efforts Sunni blocs, which walked out of the Iraqi parliament when the Popular Mobilization Units law was passed, are now refusing to participate in the national reconciliation project. Iraq
Lebanese activists succeed in first step to repealing controversial 'rape law' Women's rights activists say that abolishing Article 522 of the Lebanese penal code is only one step toward protecting women from sexual abuse and violence, as more laws need to be amended. Lebanon
Will Turkey finally launch space agency? With the launch of its second active military satellite on Dec. 5, Turkey now has five satellites in orbit and is planning for even more activity in space. Turkey
Netanyahu's 'Job Act' could win him Trump-like appointment powers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to have an American-type administration in which he and his associates decide who is appointed to key positions. Israel
