US questions whether Iraq can boot American troops After Iraq's parliament urged US troops to leave the country Sunday, the White House and some Iraqi lawmakers are raising questions about whether Iraq's caretaker prime minister has the authority to kick out US forces. Iraq
Iraq's Kurds weigh opportunities, risks in wake of Soleimani killing Can the Kurdistan Regional Government help out the United States as it faces Iraqi anger over the Soleimani killing, and does the KRG want to risk doing so? Iraq
Incitement against Russian-Israelis resurges in election campaign As the elections approach, ultra-Orthodox leaders are accusing Israelis who immigrated from Russia and Ukraine of coming to the country to weaken their political force. Israel
Is Turkey 'big winner' after Soleimani killing? Some observers assert that the killing of the Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani will increase US reliance on Turkey for its future military operations in the Middle East and enhance Turkey's overall geopolitical positioning, but such thinking may prove to be wishful thinking. Syria
Oman’s humanitarian aid to Yemen also pragmatic Providing assistance to Yemenis requires Oman to maintain a low profile and strike a political balance with its giant neighbor to the northwest, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Dubai ports giant hires ex-Israeli intelligence official to land US support for Sudan bid DP World has hired controversial lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe to get a US grant to develop Sudan’s most important cargo terminal. United Arab Emirates
Deadly stampede kills scores at burial of Iran's Soleimani Scores of mourners died in a stampede that marred and briefly delayed a massive burial for the Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani assassinated in a US airstrike last week. U.S.
US withdrawal from Iraq is Israel’s worst-case scenario The leaked letter published this week about the United States considering withdrawing from Iraq and Syria generated great concern within the Israeli security establishment. Iraq
TurkStream gas pipeline will bring Moscow, Ankara closer than ever Turkey and Russia are set to inaugurate the TurkStream gas pipeline, which promises to increase Russian leverage in regional energy markets. Turkey
Intel: US uses Uighur crisis to sideline China in MidEast The United States is highlighting China’s mass detention of some one million Muslim Uighurs in concentration camps as part of a bid to reduce Beijing’s diplomatic clout in the Middle East. Bahrain
How Moscow is positioning itself as broker amid Mideast tensions Russian President Vladimir Putin's shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East seeks to gain Russia more power and higher status. Syria
US-Iran tensions shift Iraq from brink of reform to brink of war After its assassination of a major player in Iraq, the United States must now engage with the anti-government, pro-reform nationalist protesters in Iraq in order to push against Iranian influence in the country. Iraq
Region watches for sparks as Palestinian factions mourn Soleimani The assassination of Iran's Qasem Soleimani has prompted many sad reactions among the various Palestinian factions, but so far all are resisting the urge to avenge him. Palestine
How Israel is feeding fire of US-Iran escalation Instead of stoking the fire and congratulating US President Donald Trump over the killing of Iran’s Qasem Soleimani, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should look at the larger picture. Palestine
Palestinian Fatah camps jockeying for post-Abbas leadership With Palestinian elections supposedly in the works, the leadership struggle within Fatah is intensifying in the quest to lead the movement in the post-Abbas era. Palestine
National campaign to support domestic goods on rise in Iraq Iraqi protesters launched campaigns to support the national goods and boycott foreign and Iranian goods in particular. Originals