Iraqi militia leader in US custody after arrest: What to know Authorities said the individual is linked to a mysterious pro-Iran group that has been claiming attacks on Jewish communities in Europe. Iraq
Analysis Why China didn’t hand Trump a breakthrough on Iran Trump's landmark three-day visit to China — the first for a US president since 2017 — included plenty of fanfare, flattery and awkward selfies but failed to produce deals or breakthroughs on Iran. By Rosaleen Carroll , Joyce Karam
Lebanon-Israel ceasefire extended 45 days as US opens security talks The Pentagon will host Israeli and Lebanese military delegations for a round of separate security talks later this month. Lebanon
Analysis ‘A reckless act’: Netanyahu sparks UAE fury by claiming secret visit Just as UAE-Israeli relations were deepening through cooperation against Iran, the Israeli prime minister publicly embarrassed Abu Dhabi by revealing his March visit. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says removing Iran’s uranium is more about optics By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump, Xi discuss Hormuz, but no Iran breakthrough expected By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Erdogan's crackdown on enemies just getting started after failed coup Is the Turkish military "infested" with Gulenists? Iran expects shift in Turkey’s Syria policies after standing by Erdogan; Turkish documents detail Islamic State operations. Syria
Will Sadrists target US troops in Iraq? As the United States announced it would send an extra 560 troops to Iraq to participate in the battle to liberate Mosul from Islamic State control, Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militias threatened to target them. Iraq
US election 2016: Trump seals the deal Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of July 18. United States
Planning for the 'day after' Mosul As preparations advance to retake Mosul from IS, defense and foreign ministers from some 30 nations met in Washington to plan how to provide humanitarian relief and services for hundreds of thousands of people expected to be displaced. Iraq
Fethullah Gulen stirs fresh tensions between Ankara, Washington Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is clamoring for the head of Fethullah Gulen, but Washington says adhering to legal procedures is paramount before Gulen can be extradited to stand trial for masterminding the coup attempt in Turkey. Turkey
Kerry: Critics of Obama administration's Syria policy 'completely screwed up' US secretary of state says the terrorist attack in Nice “could just as well have come from [Jabhat al-] Nusra”; Erdogan refers to coup attempt as a "gift from God" to "cleanse" army. Syria
US election 2016: Global chaos upends US election Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of July 11. United States
Channel to monitor Iranian procurement awaits real test A new organization created by the Iran nuclear deal is waiting for foreign companies to seek approval to sell Iran nuclear-related goods and services and other items with possible military applications. United States
Kerry, Putin meet to salvage Syria peace talks US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin July 14 to see if they could reach an agreement on a US plan to deepen US-Russian coordination on Syria. Syria
Iran takes page from US Treasury’s playbook Having spent two years on negotiating the nuclear deal, it seems that Iran’s foreign minister is now focusing his efforts on making sure that the JCPOA is effectively implemented. United States
Iranian negotiator: Blocking sale of planes is violation of deal Is the question of the sale of Boeing aircraft to Iran a make or break issue for the nuclear deal? United States
Jabhat al-Nusra 'al-Qaeda's largest formal affiliate in history' Testimony by US official comes as Amnesty International report documents “abduction, torture and summary killings” committed by Jabhat al-Nusra and allied Syrian armed groups. Egypt