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
Zarif: US must decide between deal, sanctions In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discusses the final steps necessary to seal the Iran deal. Iran
Opportunities for US-Iran cooperation await nuclear deal If signed, a nuclear accord might spur better relations between the United States and Iran. Iran
Iran's conservatives suspicious after IAEA head's visit Iranian conservatives believe that the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, traveled to Tehran to resolve issues over possible military dimensions. Iran
New units step toward reforming Kurdish peshmerga Some Kurdish officials are hopeful that new peshmerga brigades will be immune to politicization. Iraq
Israel, PA officials disagree over source of West Bank violence Despite the recent spate of attacks, Palestinian security officials argue that neither Fatah nor Hamas are interested in escalating the situation with Israel and emphasize that Israeli policies create continuous frustration among West Bank residents. Palestine
Will Israel invade West Bank? Israeli-Palestinian relations are back to square one as Israel recently threatened to invade and occupy the West Bank. Palestine
Erdogan looks for military victory to avenge electoral defeat Some observers believe that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to force Turkey into a confrontation with Syria before a coalition government is formed. Saudi Arabia
Hamas denies connection to West Bank attacks Despite a lack of evidence of political affiliation of the attackers, the acts of violence against Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank are raising concerns about possible involvement by Hamas. Palestine
Israel should back Assad Based on past experience and years of calm borders with Syria, Israel must abandon whatever ties it develops with Syrian rebels and work with its Western allies to stabilize President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Israel
Masrour Barzani: Kurdish independence would help defeat IS Masrour Barzani, chief of the Iraqi Kurdish intelligence services, talks to Al-Monitor about delays in international support against the Islamic State. Iraq
IS threat could push Jordan beyond its borders Despite the imminent terrorist threat, some Jordanians reject the necessity to intervene in Syrian and Iraqi territory. Iraq
Recent attacks not a sign of third intifada The Israeli security apparatus believes that despite a recent rise in terror attacks in the West Bank, most Palestinians prefer to keep the calm. Palestine
