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
Um Sameh, the wonder woman of eastern Ghouta With famine gripping the besieged enclave of eastern Ghouta, Um Sameh stepped in with One Hand, an organization she founded, to fill the gap left by international organizations unable to deliver aid to starving residents. Culture & Society
Jordan fears collapse of de-escalation zone in southwest Syria Jordan seems worried the fighting in Syria’s eastern Ghouta could hit near its borders amid claims of strikes by Syrian jets against rebel-held areas in Daraa. Israel
The path to a nuclear-free Middle East Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should understand that he cannot forge a unified front with Saudi Arabia against the Iran-led Shiite axis while thwarting Saudi plans for commercial nuclear energy. Saudi Arabia
Tillerson's departure could disrupt US-Turkey progress With US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson leaving office, critical Turkey-US plans to meet about Syria could be delayed as Ankara recalibrates to face incoming Mike Pompeo. Syria
Mystery lingers over Turkey’s missing weapons The Turkish government is reluctant or unable to explain the extraordinary increase in lost or stolen guns in the country, including weapons distributed and now missing since the 2016 coup attempt. Turkey
Holding Libyan elections this year could be disastrous There's a lot of pressure to hold elections in Libya this year, but many observers fear the country is still too unstable to pull it off without making the situation even worse. Libya
Palestinians pin hopes on Pompeo The Palestinian leadership hopes that the friendship between intelligence chief Majid Faraj and Mike Pompeo, who will soon be appointed US secretary of state, will help thaw relations between Washington and Ramallah. Palestine
Iran deal advocates prepare to battle Pompeo nomination President Trump’s pick to replace Rex Tillerson at the State Department has called the Iran agreement “disastrous” and threatened military action against Iran. Congress
Pentagon braces for emboldened Iran after Syria gains The Pentagon’s top commander in the Middle East told lawmakers today that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s gains in the yearslong civil war will bolster Iran’s ability to frustrate US aims in the region. Syria
Turkish-Arab ties marked by fear and loathing A senior Turkish diplomat says Ankara misread the Middle East and ended up relying on Iran and its backer Russia, the two countries that Arab regimes fear the most. United Arab Emirates
Russia warns against attacking Damascus, says West is lying Moscow accuses the United States of wanting to interfere in Russia's presidential election and of concocting fake news about a pending Syrian chemical strike against civilians, and it says it's being falsely blamed for the spy poisoning in the UK. Syria
Iran says IS resurgence could hamper oil deal with Iraq An Iranian official warns that numerous attacks in Iraq have created security concerns that are preventing the countries from completing their oil deal, but some Iraqis think the Kurdistan Regional Government has engineered the situation because it no longer controls the oil. Iraq
