Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
US Navy plans for smaller fleet amid spending caps despite Middle East crisis Facing budget caps and new procurement delays, the Navy is poised to reduce the overall size of its fleet even as attacks by Iran and its proxies in Yemen have led to unprecedented disruptions of commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Washington Pulse
Exclusive US government employees plan walkout over Biden’s Gaza policies By Joyce Karam , Elizabeth Hagedorn
Trump shelves Gulf talks until next year The White House has once again postponed a Gulf Cooperation Council summit aimed at bringing together the fragmented alliance to counter Iran. Saudi Arabia
Qatar crisis looms over Trump meeting with Kuwait emir In a quiet visit overshadowed by domestic US political turmoil, Kuwait’s emir visited the White House on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia
Pentagon adjusts war games to cope with Iran threat The US military is making changes to its Middle East drills to respond to the Donald Trump administration’s fears of a growing military threat from Iran. Congress
Trump administration releases another $195 million in Egypt aid The Donald Trump administration has issued a national security waiver allowing it to release more military aid despite congressional concerns over Cairo’s human rights record and ties to North Korea. Egypt
Trump turns away from the Palestinians In a departure from past US administrations, the Donald Trump administration in a series of recent steps increasingly appears to be aligning the United States against the Palestinians on key issues in the conflict. Palestine
Palestinian aid critics wary of Trump cuts The Donald Trump administration’s sweeping cuts are sparking concern even among Israel advocates. Palestine
UN war crimes report threatens US support for Yemen war A UN report alleging that the anti-Houthi coalition may have carried out war crimes could further erode support for US bomb sales and military support. Saudi Arabia
US scrambles for Syria deal ahead of Idlib offensive The Donald Trump administration is pressing Russia for concessions before Bashar al-Assad’s regime finishes taking back the country. Syria
Congress dangles Turkey trade deal as carrot to Trump’s stick Lawmakers are floating a free trade agreement with Turkey as the president doubles steel and aluminum tariffs on Ankara for its ongoing detention of a US pastor. Turkey
Congress ratchets up pressure on Trump, Russia over Syria President Donald Trump wants to work with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to remove Iran from Syria, but Congress remains skeptical. Syria
Pompeo names high-level Syria team as Trump looks for the exit The Donald Trump administration has named former US Ambassador to Iraq and Turkey James Jeffrey to coordinate all aspects of US Syria policy. Syria
US outsources Syria aid to Gulf In an apparent win for the Donald Trump administration, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to pick up the tab to stabilize Syria. Saudi Arabia
