Erdogan seeks lifeline from Trump to salvage US-Turkey ties It will take Donald Trump to close a deal with Turkey on a Syrian "safe zone." Syria
Furious Iranian officials claim sabotage in tanker incident After the United States accused Iran of being behind the attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman, Tehran accused Washington of "sabotage diplomacy." Iran
Iran’s central bank tightens grip on national payment system Iran’s central bank is increasingly closing loopholes in the country’s payment system that allowed for destabilization of the monetary and foreign currency markets. Iran
Cancer hits residents of Iraqi oil city of Basra The cancer rate has been on the rise in the Iraqi oil-rich province of Basra, and many blame this on increasing pollution and on depleted uranium dust from weapons used in the 1991 Gulf War. Iraq
Iran-backed militias struggle to resist US pressure Feeling the burden of US sanctions on Iran, the Popular Mobilization Units are flexing their muscles in Iraq, trying to strengthen their position. Iraq
Heavy rains hit IDP camp in Sanaa, adding to their misery Yemen's internally displaced not only suffered because of the heavy rainfall but also could not celebrate Eid al-Fitr as international humanitarian assistance has been mostly suspended. Saudi Arabia
How formerly embattled Tripoli neighbors are now struggling together Several NGOs and local government are helping residents in two Tripoli neighborhoods to overcome years of animosity and hostilities between them, and progress has been made, but more governmental assistance is needed to pull them out of crisis. Lebanon
Is cleaning Lebanon’s shores enough to solve waste crisis? Hundreds of volunteers took part in a campaign launched by the Ministry of Environment to clean Lebanon's shoreline, but some say this is a cosmetic move that will not come close to solving the country's endemic waste problem. Lebanon
Does shootout threaten Israeli-Palestinian security ties? A recent run-in between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian security forces in the West Bank raises questions about the future of their security coordination. Palestine
Iran determined to arm West Bank Palestinian factions Iran has been very busy on the world stage recently, but it is reiterating its intention to provide weapons to Palestinian factions in the West Bank to help them carry out operations against Israel. Palestine
US, Israeli, Russian security chiefs to meet in Jerusalem The upcoming meeting of Israeli, American and Russian national security leaders in Jerusalem is a major diplomatic achievement for the Israelis, particularly their prime minister. Israel
PA wants to break free from reliance on Israeli fuel Following the rupture of US-Palestinian ties and Israeli violations to the Paris Protocol, the PA is moving forward with its plan to break free from reliance on Israeli fuel, particularly since the financial crisis requires purchasing fuel at cheaper prices. Palestine
Israeli Arab parties pass on Jewish-Arab cooperation Israel's four Arab parties, which split into two Knesset lists before the April elections, are now discussing reunifying to contest September elections with the goal of generating more Arab votes. Israel
US blames Iran for Gulf tanker attack Secretary of State Mike Pompeo points finger at Iran in Thursday's attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Gulf
Qatar, Bahrain duck congressional backlash against Gulf arms sales As scrutiny grows over arms transfers to Washington’s Gulf allies, the Senate narrowly voted to allow weapons sales to Qatar and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia
Khamenei to Abe: Iran will not negotiate 'under pressure' Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the United States violated the original 2015 nuclear deal and cannot be trusted for talks on another accord. United States
