Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel’s Netanyahu to discuss Iran, Lebanon with Trump Oman proposes Hormuz management plan; Iraq's Zaidi pays first visit to Turkey; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
On eighth visit, Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to repair ties with Trump Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to focus on Iran in his Tuesday meeting with President Donald Trump, while the US leader is more likely to want to discuss Lebanon and Syria. United States
Trump says Iran seeks talks after strikes halted An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the two sides have communicated only through intermediaries. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says it doesn’t seek to resume negotiations with Washington Sharaa says Syria seeks security deal with Israel; Red Sea shipping slows after Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Ahead of Trump meeting, Netanyahu lays groundwork for Israel to rejoin Iran war By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran warns Trump against seizing frozen assets By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump threatens Iran bridges, power plants over Hormuz attacks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Critics say Assad unlikely to suffer under Caesar sanctions The Syrian opposition backs the Caesar Act, recently approved by the United States, but questions whether the US administration is serious about implementing it and how it might affect the Syrian government and its allies. Syria
Iraq on brink of abyss: What happens next? The steadily increasing crisis in Iraq is getting deeper over time, opening the space for a total political collapse. Iraq
Will Iran take up Trump’s offer to ‘make a deal together’? President Donald Trump may be ready for another deal with Iran, and if so, Tehran’s leaders should take him up on it. Iraq
US re-ups support for Sinai mission The United States will continue to fund peacekeeping efforts in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula despite concerns over Russia's influence in the region. Egypt
Could Congress' latest Syria sanctions bill backfire? The congressional bill will exacerbate the economic situation in Syria and ultimately increase Syria’s dependency on Iran. Syria
Tehran convenes allies against threats that include US Iran outlined many concerns it shares with other participants at its recent security conference, especially about Afghanistan and the US presence there. Russia
Rouhani claims US sanctions will pass Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Japanese and Indian officials he believes that the United States will soon have no choice but to end its pressure campaign against Iran. United States
Intel: Saudi court hands out death sentences in Khashoggi killing A Saudi court handed down death sentences today to five people linked to the 2018 slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while others will serve long jail sentences or be acquitted. Saudi Arabia
Congress forces Trump to restore Palestinian aid Congress has a plan to restore some of the Palestinian aid that President Donald Trump eliminated. Palestine
Intel: Pentagon refuses to put timeline on Syria mission Defense Secretary Mark Esper refused to put a timeline on the Pentagon’s scaled-down mission to defeat the Islamic State and guard Syrian oil fields at the agency’s last press briefing of the year. Syria
UAE insists it’s not lobbying for sanctions against Turkey after all Lobbyists for the UAE embassy in Washington have clarified their talking points to Congress. United Arab Emirates
Inside the US-Iran prisoner swap, and what comes next Can Washington and Tehran build on the success of the Swiss facilitated exchange? United States