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
Is Egypt’s Sisi hoping for Trump win? Although Donald Trump's stance on the Muslim Brotherhood is in line with that of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the presumptive Republican nominee's statements on Muslims in general have decreased his popularity in Egypt. Egypt
US election 2016: Hillary dodges email server bullet The FBI exonerated Hillary Clinton on the email scandal, but Republicans are no less hungry to make the Democratic presidential candidate pay for her "extremely careless" actions. United States
Can Bahrain count on Moscow to fill Washington’s shoes? As Bahrain seeks closer ties with Russia, other Arab countries have their doubts about the relationship, yet they recognize Moscow’s growing role in the region amid Washington’s receding influence. Saudi Arabia
Turkey's pro-government media mired in CIA conspiracy theories Odd logic and pro-government leanings lead some Turkish media outlets to embrace theories of IS intrigue. Turkey
Have Arab leaders forgotten about Palestine? Palestinian senior officials feel that not only are Arab countries preoccupied by the Islamic State threat, but that the countries are also tired of the Palestinian issue and are sidelining the urgency of establishing a Palestinian state. Palestine
Congress weighs restrictions on Boeing sales to Iran A number of Democrats appear willing to join Republicans in setting conditions on aircraft sales to the Islamic Republic. Congress
EU to push forward with two-state conference, with or without Washington EU senior officials are planning a two-state conference to be held before the end of the year, with both a bilateral and a multilateral track. Palestine
How nuclear deal has cooled Iran-US cyberwar Once-threatening cyberattacks between the United States and Iran appear to have slowed since the countries reached a nuclear pact. United States
Will US, Russia start coordinating against Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria? The United States, increasingly concerned about the threat posed by al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, is continuing to discuss with Russia a proposal to target Jabhat al-Nusra and IS. Syria
Erdogan’s latest wake-up call on Islamic State The Obama administration weighs deeper coordination with Moscow against Jabhat al-Nusra; Erdogan’s slow turnaround on Syria policy; Hamas seeks to resume ties with Iran. Palestine
US election 2016: Clinton veep talk heats up Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of June 27. Congress
Has EU given up hope in Israel’s new defense minister? European Union officials believe that actions taken by Israel's new Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman in favor of the settlement enterprise reflect his true political colors. Palestine