Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
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
UN says Libya arms embargo 'totally ineffective' A United Nations panel of experts accused several member states, including Turkey and Russia, of fueling the Libyan conflict. Libya
Turkey's scapegoating of McGurk rooted in revisionism National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk has worked closely with the Turks for many years on a range of knotty issues, and the growls from Ankara suggest that Turkey continues to pin US policies that it doesn’t like on "rogue" individuals. Turkey
Syrian FSA fighters graduate from universities after years out of school Factions of the Free Syrian Army are supporting their fighters to return to school and graduate, as part of efforts to promote education among their fighters. Syria
Biden team picks Dana Stroul to lead Pentagon's Middle East desk Stroul, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will join a roster of Obama-era veterans when she returns to the Pentagon. Syria
Under Biden, US-Turkey relations face delicate balancing act Analysts expect the Joe Biden administration to take a harder stance than the Trump administration did on diverging US-Turkey policies, while noting Washington will also need to take pains to avoid alienating the key NATO ally. Turkey
United Arab Emirates signs deal to buy F-35s, drones just before Biden sworn in President Joe Biden has suggested his administration might review or impose conditions on arms sales, but it is not yet clear he will oppose the deal. United Arab Emirates
As Trump departs, Iran says 'ball in Washington’s court' to reinstate nuclear deal President Hassan Rouhani appeared more upbeat on the prospects of the Iran nuclear deal on the day that Donald Trump departed from the White House. United States
Blinken: 'Vitally important' to engage with Israel, Gulf on Iran nuclear deal Antony Blinken also said the administration would immediately review the terror designation of Yemen's Houthi rebels. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: Biden’s pick for top intelligence official vows to report to Congress on Jamal Khashoggi murder Avril Haines says the Biden administration will release to lawmakers an unclassified intelligence assessment on who was behind the murder of the Saudi dissident journalist. Saudi Arabia
Houthi terror designation could set off Yemen’s oil tanker 'time bomb' Experts say the terrorism label will complicate efforts to secure a decaying oil tanker in the Red Sea that could rupture at any moment and unleash another humanitarian and environmental catastrophe. Yemen
Netanyahu lays out campaign for US to maintain course on Iran Israel is hoping that the new US administration will conduct an intimate strategic dialogue with Israel’s allies in the region before making a final decision on the Iran nuclear issue. Israel
Trump orders US Central Command to include Israel amid strategic shift The decision caps the outgoing administration's efforts to build a regional defense arrangement to counter Iran. Israel
Iranian forces in east Syria redeploy after airstrikes The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and its militias in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, are trying to avoid further losses from suspected Israeli airstrikes by redeploying, hiding inside residential neighborhoods in large cities and putting their strategic weapons in underground tunnels. Israel
