Turkey, US sign $2M grant deal for small nuclear reactors: What to know The new cooperation deal comes as Ankara seeks to expand nuclear power and reduce reliance on Russia. Turkey
Analysis Why Netanyahu is distancing himself from Trump ahead of Israeli election No meeting has been announced between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit in New York. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing UAE's Gargash expects 'prolonged' war Turkey, US resume talks on F-16s; China slams US sanctions on Iran airlines as ‘illegal’; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Exclusive Turkey, US resume F-16 talks ahead of expected Trump-Erdogan meeting The issue is returning to US-Turkey talks as Ankara races to modernize its air force amid expanding fifth-generation fleets in the region. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis How Netanyahu is leveraging Houthi threat in secret Saudi normalization push By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
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
Facing US sanctions, credit-fueled Turkish economy heads toward turbulence Through measures to free up capital flows, Turkey’s economy weathered the 2018 currency crisis, but analysts remain uncertain the nation’s markets can absorb more shocks as US sanctions loom. Turkey
Intel: How Congress is putting Saudi fugitives on notice Congress is forcing the Donald Trump administration to disclose Riyadh’s alleged role in whisking Saudi fugitives out of the United States, some of whom are wanted for charges as severe as manslaughter, rape and possession of child pornography. Saudi Arabia
UAE hires its second former Samantha Power aide to defend itself at UN The UAE has tapped a former aide to Barack Obama’s UN ambassador as the country faces blistering criticism at the world body. United Arab Emirates
Turkey slams US defense bill as sanctions loom The US Senate passed a defense bill with several measures deemed hostile by Ankara officials, signaling Capitol Hill’s intent to move forward with sanctions on Turkey. Turkey
Intel: Top US and Russian generals link up to talk Syria Gen. Mark Milley, the top US military official, met his Russian counterpart Gen. Valery Gerasimov in Bern, Switzerland, today as part of an ongoing high-level military dialogue between the United States and Russia. Syria
Intel: Why Democrats failed to repeal a key military authorization As US lawmakers vote on a compromise to fund the government this week, one thing is conspicuously absent in the spending bill: a provision Democrats added to repeal the 18-year-old military authorization that serves as the legal basis for counterterrorism operations throughout the Middle East and across the globe. Congress