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
Iran makes arrests in nuclear scientist's killing, official says Iranian parliamentary adviser Hossein Amir Abdollahian said some of the "perpetrators" had been identified and arrested. Israel
Saudi court hands Saudi-American doctor Walid al-Fitaihi 6-year sentence The Harvard-trained doctor is reported to have been sentenced over tweeting his support for the 2011 Arab Spring protests and for obtaining US citizenship. Saudi Arabia
Egyptian forces kill, arrest Islamist fighters in Sinai There have been several escalations between Egyptian forces and Islamist groups on the peninsula recently. Egypt
Uzbekistan repatriates women and children linked to Islamic State in Syria The 98 people were in camps for Islamic State fighters and their families in Kurdish-run northeast Syria. Some other countries have also brought their citizens home from IS camps there, while others have refused. Syria
Biden's CENTCOM pick to head Pentagon raises concern over civilian leadership Gen. Lloyd Austin has emerged as the president-elect's likely pick over former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy. United States
Eastern Libyan forces intercept Turkish ship en route to Misrata Forces loyal to eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Hifter intercepted a Jamaican-flagged Turkish ship in the Mediterranean Sea late Monday in a move that could escalate regional tensions. Turkey
Iran accuses US of blocking coronavirus vaccine purchases Iranian officials said US sanctions have impeded their attempts to secure the purchase of coronavirus vaccines for their country, which remains the hardest-hit in the Middle East. Iran
Slovenia designates Hezbollah as terrorist organization Slovenia has followed other European states in designating Hezbollah as a terror group, including both its political and its military wings. Lebanon
European powers call Iran’s enrichment plans 'deeply worrying' The governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom expressed concerns over Iran's reported plan to install additional centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility. Iran
Egypt, Iraq deepen defense ties Egypt and Iraq are expanding defense industry ties in a sign of deepening engagement among Cairo, Baghdad and Amman. Egypt
Israel issues travel warning involving several Middle Eastern states The Israeli government wants Israelis to avoid travel to the UAE, Turkey and other countries following the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist. Israel
Intel: Congress warned of fallout if Yemen's Houthis labeled terrorists A group of 29 aid agencies operating in Yemen warned congressional leaders that the Donald Trump administration's planned terror designation could hinder their live-saving work. Yemen
![Rafael Grossi (R), Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), listens to Iran's Atomic Energy Vice-President Ali Akbar Salehi, who attends virtually the 64th General Conference of the IAEA at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on September 21, 2020. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by JOE KLAMAR has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Ali Akbar Salehi] instead of [Zarif]. Please immediately rem](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/12/GettyImages-1228631637.jpg/GettyImages-1228631637.jpg?h=ab741efc&itok=y-Hl7_5_)
