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
US hopes new sanctions fuel Iran protests The US administration said it hoped that renewed economic sanctions on Iran going into effect Tuesday will spur Iranian protests and pressure the regime to accept Donald Trump’s offer for talks. United States
Syria's Kurds cautiously progress in talks with Damascus According to the former head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, Salih Muslim, a recent Kurdish delegation to Damascus didn’t go into the talks with red lines, but rather focused on building confidence. Syria
How regional politics is restraining Kurdish militancy in Iran While some Iranian Kurdish armed opposition groups are intent on raising the heat on Iran amid ongoing US pressure, other groups are careful not to enter a conflict that may spiral out of control. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Is Israel's Mossad expanding scope of secret assassinations? The killing of a Syrian missile-engineer, widely attributed to the Mossad, is likely meant to serve as a message that the lives of those developing weapons against Israel are in danger. Israel
As ringmaster, Russia runs Israel-Iran balancing act in Syria A deal brokered by Russia has something for everyone involved — Syria, Israel, Iran and, of course, Russia itself — and has defused at least temporarily what could have become a deadly showdown between Israel and Iran. Israel
Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal has wide-ranging implications By holding indirect talks with Hamas about a long-term cease-fire, Israel is indicating that it views and accepts the Islamist movement as the political sovereign of Gaza, a shift that could have significant repercussions. Palestine
Putin man in the middle between Assad, Erdogan over Idlib A Syrian government attack on Idlib could upend the Astana accord. Syria
Will canceled camps mean a deadly summer for Gaza's children? As the Great Return March enters its 18th week, the killing of Majdi al-Satari, 12, by an Israeli sniper at the Gaza-Israel border highlights the lack of summer camps this year to keep children busy elsewhere. Palestine
Gaza cannot wait for a miracle The crisis in Gaza leaves no time to dream of grandiose solutions, such as an artificial island or desalination plants, and only immediately allowing thousands of Gazans to work in Israel can alleviate the pressure. Palestine
US defense bill could impact arms exports to Middle East This year’s US defense authorization bill calls for reforming America’s high-tech exports even as weapons sales to the region boom. Saudi Arabia
Israel’s Bedouin sidelined as Netanyahu makes deal with Druze The Bedouin community is bitter over the offer outlined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assuage the Druze community's concerns about the controversial new Nationality Law. Israel
Turkey fumes over US sanctions, vows to retaliate The US sanctions may make the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is at the heart of the current US-Turkey crisis, much harder for Ankara. Turkey
