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
Iraqi anti-IS operations hindered by coalition base attacks Members of the Iraqi counterterrorism forces and the US Marines have been killed during raids against IS hideouts in recent weeks in tough mountain terrain. Iraq
Iraqi deadline passes with no decision on prime minister Iraqi political parties have failed in selecting a new prime minister, amid the rising tension between the United States and the Iran-backed Shiite militias. Iraq
Deir ez-Zor residents protest rule by Syrian Kurdish group The Deir ez-Zor military council, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been firing on protesters and believes they are being fed anti-SDF propaganda by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Coronavirus imposes calm on Gaza front Calm has returned between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza, mainly because of the outbreak of the coronavirus and fears of it spreading in the besieged enclave. Palestine
Bahrain pardons hundreds of prisoners as coronavirus fears spread While authorities have attributed the release to humanitarian reasons, human rights groups link the decision to efforts to contain the outbreak. Bahrain
Historical context: Biden’s 2002 vote on Iraq war Congress passed a new resolution on the use of force in the Middle East; the United States retaliates against Iran-backed militias in Iraq; and an 18-year-old debate returns. Iraq
Iraq condemns 'treacherous' US strikes against Iran-backed militia US airstrikes struck a civilian airport in Karbala in what the Pentagon said was an operation targeting weapons storage facilities belonging to an Iran-backed Shiite militia group blamed for the recent attack on an Iraqi base housing US and coalition troops. Iraq
Intel: Russia, Turkey reach deal on Syria's Idlib Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar finally announced March 13 that after four days of talks in the Turkish capital, the Russian and Turkish militaries have agreed on the details of a new cease-fire in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone. Syria
Pentagon retaliates after deadly Iran-backed strikes on US troops The US military targeted five weapons facilities of an Iran-backed group after an earlier rocket attack left two American and one British service member dead. Iraq
Has war between Iran and US already started in Iraq? Iraqi officials condemned the recent US airstrikes that targeted not only Popular Mobilization Units but the Iraqi army and police. Iraq
US prepares biting Syria sanctions as Assad pummels Idlib The United States is preparing to slap stringent sanctions on the Bashar al-Assad government as it pummels Idlib, raising questions about Syria’s long-term reconstruction. Syria
Will Russia accept Turkey's proposal to split Syria's oil? Moscow weighs the pros and cons of a Turkish proposal on Syrian oil. Syria
