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
Why Turkey’s reliance on Trump for S-400 sanctions waiver appears misguided Turkey is counting on President Donald Trump to waive US sanctions if Turkey takes delivery of the Russian air defense system. But any possible leniency would face significant obstacles in Congress. Turkey
Iran moves to facilitate Turkey-Syria understanding ahead of Astana summit The Iranian foreign minister’s recent trips to Damascus and Ankara suggest that Tehran is stepping up its efforts to facilitate and accelerate the political process to end the Syrian crisis. Syria
Russia and Arabs agree on US, spar over Iran The Moscow-hosted fifth ministerial meeting between Russia and the Arab League exposed some disagreements but helped bring Russia and the Arabs closer on other issues. Legacy: Gulf
Jordan-Syria ties stumble over fate of Jordanian detainees The Syrian regime's detention of Jordanian citizens reflects the reality that Jordanian-Syrian ties have a long way to go before normalization. Jordan
Israel accuses Islamic Jihad of obstructing Gaza truce Israel is accusing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad of seeking to destabilize the security situation in Gaza in a bid to obstruct the Egyptian-brokered understanding concluded with Hamas. Palestine
Trump administration accuses Iran of potential new nuclear violations An annual State Department report says Tehran may have violated the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Israel
Palestinians have little leverage against Israeli annexation Amid Benjamin Netanyahu’s election victory and their deeply entrenched divisions, the Palestinians seem to have little chance to stand firm in the face of Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Palestine
How Ankara’s anti-West attitude plays into Western hands The Erdogan government is more determined than ever to purchase the S-400 missile systems from Russia, further eroding Turkey's standing as a Western ally. Turkey
Russia sees silver lining in Trump’s IRGC terror designation Moscow expects little immediate fallout from the US designation for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but is worried about its long-term consequences even as it benefits from some angles. Russia
As hunger strike ends, Gaza arrangement proceeds Now that the Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike has ended, safely reelected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can move forward with an arrangement with Hamas. Palestine
Turks look to Trump for way around ‘S-400 or F-35’ ultimatum With Congress threatening sanctions if Turkey acquires the Russian S-400 and the Pentagon warning that Turkey could lock itself out of the F-35 fighter jet program, the Turkish president’s son-in-law took his case directly to President Donald Trump. Turkey
Erdogan claims Sudanese coup actually targeted Turkey Now that the Sudanese military has ousted the president who ruled there for three decades, it will be interesting to see how the new administration will approach Omar al-Bashir's longtime friend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Legacy: Gulf
