Sudan pushes back after US calls army-led government illegitimate Washington appears to be turning up the pressure on the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces to accept a US ceasefire proposal he rejected in July. Sudan
Rubio: US-Iran talks 'positive,' no breakthrough yet The top US diplomat said it was "significant" the two warring sides spoke at all. Iran
Pezeshkian says Iran open to US talks, region must settle own disputes “Our regional issues must be resolved in the region at the hands of the countries in the region,” Iran's president said on Wednesday. Iran
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
Analysis Why Netanyahu is distancing himself from Trump ahead of Israeli election By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing UAE's Gargash expects 'prolonged' war 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
Turks fire back as Trump ends preferential trade status The United States removed Turkey from its list of countries that enjoy tariff-free access to the US market, a decision criticized by the Turkish government. Turkey
Exodus by big firms pushes Iran toward smaller Chinese enterprises To mitigate the impact of harsh US sanctions, Iran is increasingly turning to China by dispatching high-ranking delegations to Beijing to augment trade. But China is also mindful not to cross the red lines drawn by the United States. United States
US shifts weapons from Iraq to Syria The Pentagon rerouted millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and vehicles from Iraq to Syria in the second half of 2018. Iraq
Yemenis divided over Mideast peace deal, Iran The controversy that ensued after a photo emerged of Yemen's foreign minister sitting next to the Israeli premier in Warsaw indicates that Arab states may be further divided by stances on Iran and a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal. Saudi Arabia
Zarif’s stock rises with support from Soleimani While Iran’s foreign minister carries the day against hard-liners, Israel hopes to exploit possible cracks in Tehran’s Syria policy. Israel
US shrugs off Zarif resignation reversal Before Iran’s foreign minister had returned to the job, the Donald Trump administration dismissed Mohammad Javad Zarif’s resignation as essentially irrelevant, as the prospect of getting to the negotiating table looks increasingly remote. United States
Iraqi envoy calls on US to reopen Basra consulate At an exclusive Al-Monitor event, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States urged the Donald Trump administration to reopen its consulate in Basra, which the State Department closed last year amid rocket attacks from Iran-backed militias. Iraq
Israeli elections pit Republicans against AIPAC Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s electoral alliance with the far-right Jewish Power party has created yet another partisan cleavage over Israel. Israel
Syria panel rushes to offer Trump options before clock runs out A bipartisan panel of experts convened by Congress to help sort out the Donald Trump administration’s Syria policy faces a tight time crunch. Syria
Will sanctions suffocate trickle of Iran-US trade? With the reimposition of US sanctions, the trickle of trade between Iran and the United States could vanish altogether. United States
US presence in northern Syria serves the Kurds, not Turkey The US decision to keep 200 troops in northern Syria is a blow to Ankara. Syria