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
Turkey steps up action against Salafi networks Turkey has substantially increased operations against Salafi-jihadi groups in 2017, but Ankara’s real problem is deciding whether to keep them under control or eradicate them. Turkey
Why Iran-US war of words won't turn physical Despite their escalating rhetoric, neither Iran nor the United States has the incentive nor the ability to take the new cycle of tension to a military confrontation. United States
What's behind coordinated attacks by Hamas inmates in Israeli jails? Faced with a huge crisis, Hamas is trying to divert local pressure in the Gaza Strip away from its leadership by increasing unrest among Hamas prisoners in Israel. Palestine
Trump urged to name religious freedom envoy to smooth out bumpy Mideast policy Former ambassadors say Donald Trump is in dire need of an expert to "school" him on Islam. Iraq
Why Turkey’s approach to Syria may again push it to sidelines Diplomats fear that Ankara may have decided to play a reactive and obstructive role in the Syrian peace talks, rather than a positive and proactive one. Syria
Trump, Erdogan discuss Syria cooperation in first presidential call In their first call since Donald Trump became president, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed for an end to the US alliance with the Kurdish People's Protection Units. Syria
Iranian hard-liner slams Trump for not tearing up nuclear deal A prominent hard-liner in Iran has expressed his anger over US President Donald Trump going back on his words about tearing up the nuclear deal. United States
How Circassians maintain identity in changing Golan Many Circassians who lost their homes in Quneitra, Syria, opened their doors to Al-Monitor at nearby Madinat al-Baath, where they recounted their stories. Palestine
Is Egypt moving toward rapprochement with Assad government? A number of unofficial visits to Syria by Egyptian groups have raised speculation that Cairo is conducting backdoor diplomacy with the Syrian regime. Egypt
Who profits from Gaza unrest? Israel is concerned that Hamas is planning a major strategic attack on the Israeli homefront, which would force the IDF to invade Gaza. Palestine
Hamas insists ties with Iran strong, despite regional polarization Iran continues to provide financial and military support for Hamas amid a positive atmosphere that promises stronger ties and efforts to defuse the sectarian tension while bilateral meetings between the two are still being held outside Tehran, according to the movement’s representative in Iran. Palestine
Syrian rebel groups see necessity in consolidating ranks In response to losing Aleppo at the end of 2016, several Syrian opposition factions have unified their ranks into two large entities, namely Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham. Syria
