Trump tells Middle East leaders US-Iran talks have ‘momentum’ Trump hosted top officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council states, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq on the sidelines of UN General Assembly. United States
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 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
Will Libya become Turkey’s next Syria? The recently signed Turkey-Libya military cooperation deal and maritime delimitation agreement threatened to raise tensions not only in Libya but throughout the Eastern Mediterranean with Turkey asserting the right to intervene militarily in Libya if requested and to drill for oil and gas. Turkey
Is proposed site in Gaza really a hospital, or spy station? Some Palestinian authorities have pledged to obstruct plans to build what they fear could be a US-Israeli military intelligence camp, while Hamas says the facility will be a field hospital in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Intel: Pentagon worried Turkey ‘spinning out’ of NATO orbit Defense Secretary Mark Esper told an audience at a New York think tank he was worried that Turkey is “spinning out” of the NATO orbit. Turkey
White House provides lifeline to US ties with Turkey and Saudi Arabia Turkish and Saudi leaders look to Trump to prevent relations with the United States from going bad to worse. Saudi Arabia
Israel’s love of Kurds weaponized by their foes Israel's support of Kurdish autonomy in Syria is not always welcomed — at least publicly — by Syria's Kurds. Israel
Intel: Lebanon aid wrangling exposes divide in Trump administration The US Treasury Department today sanctioned one Democratic Republic of Congo-based and two Lebanon-based individuals accused of financing Hezbollah: Saleh Assi, Nazem Said Ahmad and Tony Saab. Lebanon
Russia, US headed for new lows over terrorism, Syria Despite claims that the Russian foreign minister's visit to Washington was genial and productive, by the time Sergey Lavrov landed back in Moscow, some of the areas of potential cooperation had already grown more snarled. Syria
Rouhani looks to Japan’s Abe to pick up where Macron left off Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who appears to be seeking a mediator for the US-Iranian relationship, next week will visit Japan, a country where Iran has a lot of frozen assets. United States
Senate recognizes Armenian genocide in latest black eye for Turkey The Senate unanimously recognized the Armenian genocide today, the latest in a string of major blows against Turkey within a week. Turkey
Pentagon: Saudi military students can still enter US despite shooting The Defense Department plans to establish new vetting policies for all foreign military students who enter the United States as a result of the fatal shooting of US sailors by a Saudi air force member at a US base in Florida. Saudi Arabia
Intel: How Trump continues to restrict humanitarian trade with Iran The Donald Trump administration on Wednesday sanctioned Tehran’s biggest airline and shipping network, charging them with transporting Iranian weapons in a move that could further restrict the flow of humanitarian goods into Iran. United States
Could Turkey bar US military from Incirlik air base? Faced with the resurging threat of sanctions in the US Congress, Ankara has brandished another trump card, warning that the US military could lose access to two key bases in Turkey. Turkey