Iranian Foreign Ministry: Russian use of air base has ended A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that Russia’s use of Hamedan air base has ended for now and discussed the potential for Russian, Iranian and Turkish cooperation in the region. Syria
Do Ankara, Damascus perceive common Kurdish threat? Speculation about a possible deal between Turkey and the Syrian government has intensified after Syrian fighter jets bombed Kurdish targets in Hasakah. Syria
How Israel hopes to bypass PA and win hearts of Palestinians The Israeli government recently launched a Facebook page it claims will clarify its positions toward Palestinians, without having to go through official Palestinians channels, but many are reluctant to follow it. Palestine
Turkey, Iran lay plans as honeymoon draws to close Iran appears keen to snatch Turkey away from its traditional axis, but the two sides remain at odds over the Syrian crisis, the crucial starting point for any new chapter in bilateral ties. Turkey
What's behind the Turkey-Iran tango? The coup attempt in Turkey appears to have set in motion momentum for possible cooperation between Turkey and Iran on Syria. Syria
Israel's defense minister sets out on his own path in battle against Hamas Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's carrot-and-stick plan for the West Bank and strong retaliation against Gaza rocket fire reflect an effort to set himself apart from his predecessor, Moshe Ya'alon. Palestine
Why the PA wants to stay on good terms with Qatar The Qatari ambassador to Palestine stayed in the Gaza Strip for three weeks, holding banquets, visiting various institutions and making donations, with mixed reactions from Palestinian factions. Qatar
Iraq mulls post-IS role for PMU The Iraqi government is moving to place the Popular Mobilization Units under the control of the prime minister, though some insist that the sectarian force must be dissolved after the Islamic State is defeated. Iraq
Freedom of the press: Palestine's journalists call for action Although President Mahmoud Abbas recently reiterated that freedom of the press is absolute in Palestine, the executive branch has carried on with its abuses against journalists, in a flagrant contradiction between what's being said and what's actually happening. Palestine
Is North Korea supplying arms to Palestinian factions? The Palestinian resistance factions are seeking to conclude weapons deals with Russia, North Korea and China through the black market, yet some say a recent display of weapons was merely for propaganda purposes. Palestine
Why were 3,000 Gazans excluded from Qatari grant to pay salaries? Hamas is accusing the Ramallah government of tampering with the list of Gazan government workers who were supposed to receive payment as part of a recent grant from Qatar. Qatar
Egyptian authorities ban social media satire pages Egyptian satirists and the public figures they mock play a cat-and-mouse game on the internet. Egypt
Iraqi militias aspire to be like Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units consider themselves as an "alternative" state institution, like the IRGC; Russia-Turkey "reset" stumbles on Syria; United States and Russia need to conclude agreement on Syria. Iraq
What's behind meeting between Italian ambassador, prominent leader of Iraq's PMU? The Italian ambassador to Baghdad official meets with the secretary-general of the League of the Righteous movement, Qais al-Khazali, which reads as clear support for Shiite militias in Iraq. Iraq
Three years on, wounds of Egypt's deadly sit-in dispersals linger Many protesters who had participated in the Rabaa al-Adawiya Square sit-in continue to suffer emotionally and physically following the violent dispersal by the police on July 3, 2013. Egypt
US elections 2016: Why we shouldn’t count Trump out Here’s what happened on the campaign trail the week of Aug. 15. United States
