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
Fight over Palestinian electoral lists gets technical Fatah refuses to work with the Gaza courts to resolve the disqualification of some of its electoral lists by the Central Election Commission as officials struggle to find answers in legal texts. Palestine
Repression of Turkish intellectuals elicits global response Nobel laureates, intelligentsia and celebrities around the world unite against the arbitrary detention of Turkish authors. Turkey
Turkey demands role in Mosul battle, but coalition unconvinced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed Turkey’s keenness to be part of the liberation of the two IS strongholds of Raqqa and Mosul, but continuing differences with Washington and Baghdad make this difficult. Iraq
Khamenei says manipulating numbers on economy is 'major sin' In a meeting with officials responsible for issuing statistical reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against manipulation of statistics. Iran
What's next for Baghdad-Tehran ties as last MEK members leave Iraq? In a new regional victory for Iran, the last group of the exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq left neighboring Iraq. Iraq
Why Palestinians aren't holding their breath for Moscow meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Russia despite the latter’s rejection of the Palestinian preconditions. Palestine
Can Rouhani reel in the IRGC's financial empire? Still under fire by hardliners over the nuclear deal, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is now confronting them over compliance with international banking regulations. Iran
Can Palestinian Authority cope with decline of international aid? International aid to the Palestinian Authority fell by 70% over the last four years, significantly affecting the Palestinian government's budget, and consequently, the economy. Palestine
Even pro-settlement Israeli parties give up fighting for Amona settlers Politicians on the Israeli right appear to see the writing on the Supreme Court wall and have abandoned the battle over dismantling the West Bank outpost of Amona. Israel
What's behind Israeli report claiming Abbas was KGB spy? Israeli researchers have accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of having been a KGB agent, to wide criticism from Palestinians who see the claim as part of an Israeli smear campaign to get rid of Abbas. Palestine
Democracy in Morocco will require collective effort Morocco’s deep state is worming its way into pre-election machinations. Morocco
How Egypt's state TV is trying to soothe popular anger Egyptian state TV is running political advertisements in the hope of spreading optimism among citizens, but some argue the ads are meant to promote a second term for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt
