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
Hamas rejects return to Israeli involvement in border crossings Hamas strongly opposes the Palestinian Authority's insistence on bringing back the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access at the Rafah crossing, seeing it as tantamount to imposing Israeli and European guardianship on their crossings again. Palestine
Israel chooses sides in Syria Israel warned that it would not tolerate attacks on the Syrian Druze town of Hader in the Golan Heights. Israel
EU push to save Iran deal gets frosty reception on Capitol Hill EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini faced a tough audience with Republicans threatening new sanctions on Iran. Congress
The other Iranians fighting in Iraq While much focus was on Iranian fighters among the Iraqi forces that retook disputed areas in October, other Iranian fighters played a key role in the other side of the fight. Iraq
Upcoming Putin, Trump talks should prove interesting What is the agenda for the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin? Trump wants to talk North Korea, but Moscow is seeking a broader, more in-depth conversation on the Middle East. Syria
Middle East developments rattle sidelined Ankara Some argue that Ankara has to return to its former position of active neutrality if it is to regain lost influence in the region and contribute to stability. Saudi Arabia
Iraq’s intervention may change the equation in Syria's Kurdish regions The closure of the Fish Khabur and Rabia border crossings between Iraq and Syria may jeopardize the Kurdish federal project in northern Syria. Iraq
Settler delusions of security Israeli settlers are pressuring the government for more investment in security, but no matter how generous the ultimate outlay, it will not prevent the next wave of casualties from terrorism as long as the occupation status quo persists. Israel
The road to rebuilding Raqqa The city of Raqqa, newly liberated from the Islamic State by the Kurdish-led and US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, will now face the challenges of reconstruction and uprooting the jihadi threat once and for all. Iraq
Egyptian judges forced into military re-education classes In a lecture series reminiscent of Gamal Abdel Nasser's socialist indoctrination program, the Egyptian government is forcing judges and other members of the judiciary to undergo training in "strategic and national security studies." Egypt
Israel holding Gaza militants' bodies as bargaining chips Israel decided not to return the bodies of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas members until some progress is made on returning the Israeli civilians and the bodies of IDF soldiers held by Hamas. Palestine
US sticks by Lebanese army despite Hariri resignation State Department and Defense Department officials tell Al-Monitor that US military assistance is unaffected by Beirut’s latest political crisis. Saudi Arabia
