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
The trouble with Israel's deputy minister Israeli security officials accuse Deputy Minister Ayoob Kara of revealing an affair under gag order, thus endangering lives. Israel
Iraqi students forced to study without textbooks Iraq's Ministry of Education has failed to provide Iraqi students with their textbooks because of corruption and negligence. Iraq
Why Palestinians are unfazed by calls to cut off US aid Palestinians don't appear to be fazed by the calls of the Trump administration to cut off aid to the Palestinian government, as some feel that this could be a political relief from Washington pressures. Palestine
Hamas blames Abbas in stalemate over PLO reform Reform of the Palestine Liberation Organization remains at an impasse among the various Palestinian factions as pressure builds against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestine
Top Senate Democrat challenges Trump on Russia, Iran Senate Foreign Relations Comittee ranking member Ben Cardin laid out a foreign policy platform for the Trump era. Congress
Israel's new man in Ankara could be in for bumpy ride The choice of prominent diplomat Eitan Naeh as Israel’s ambassador to Turkey is a clear sign of the importance his government places on fixing the relationship, but though he's being magnanimously received in Turkey, he'll have his hands full clearing the path to normalization. Israel
Tehran’s air pollution fuels political quarreling The Iranian capital of Tehran's alarming levels of air pollution fan the flames of factional infighting. Iran
Will Trump be open to dialogue with Islamists? While President-elect Donald Trump took a strong stance against Islamists during his campaign, his openness to Turkey’s Justice and Development Party-led government shows that the coming administration’s approach to Islamists is still unknown. Egypt
Will Trump see eye to eye with Erdogan's plans in Iraq, Syria? Ankara is hoping to find harmony with the incoming US administration on its fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Little has changed between Turkey, Russia despite reconciliation Turkey’s economy has not seen the benefits from normalizing bilateral ties with Russia as Ankara tries to speed up the pace of economic fence mending. Turkey
Will Iran attract international oil firms in post-sanctions era? French energy giant Total’s move to return to Iran is a watershed after years of sanctions, but does this represent a broader process of international oil majors returning to the country? Iran
Does Turkey have upper hand in EU membership battle? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s gamble with countries of the European Union may succeed if the Europeans blink first. Turkey
