UAE signs joint defense agreement with Cyprus The Gulf country is eyeing a new partnership in the Mediterranean to counter Turkey. Originals
Kuwait's prime minister submits Cabinet's resignation Ministers handed in their resignations Tuesday amid a standoff with parliament. Kuwait
Iran kicks off naval missile drills in Gulf of Oman, to renew patrols in Red Sea Iran's Navy will resume patrols in the Red Sea, the Chief of Staff of the armed forces said U.S.
Turkey prepares to distribute Chinese vaccine With the Turkish government expected to begin mass distribution of the Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac this week, health experts are questioning its effectiveness and the state’s rollout strategy. Originals
Pompeo, Israel send message to Iran with bold airstrikes in Syria In a rare acknowledgement, a US official said Washington provided intelligence support for the strikes. Israel
Iran offers to help Iraq reconstruct damaged archaeological masterpiece Iran has expressed interest in helping repair the Taq Kasra, the remains of a pre-Islamic Persian palace in Iraq with a historically significant archway. Iraq
Biden names Samantha Power as nominee for USAID chief The former journalist and UN ambassador has spent her career advocating for human rights around the globe. U.S.
Iran’s Rouhani expects economic relief after Trump departure Iran’s president assured his nation of economic relief “in the months to come” following the “overthrow” of his outgoing US counterpart, Donald Trump. Iran
Diplomacy in the Gulf follows the money Recent diplomatic moves among Gulf states closely align with efforts to attract new investment. Originals
Death of 16-year-old provokes settlers' ire against police, Palestinians Settlers angry after the death of 16-year-old Ahuvia Sandak are protesting violently across the country and also attacking Palestinian property in the West Bank. Israel
Israel debates Sheldon Adelson’s media, political heritage Following the death of Jewish American Sheldon Adelson, the Israeli right and left disagree about how he influenced Israel’s media, society. Israel
Turkey’s ‘wealthless’ wealth fund a tangle of problems Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund is under mounting criticism for being exempt from public auditing despite using major public assets in its transactions. Turkey
How Capitol Hill riots will complicate Turkey-US ties The violence on Capitol Hill promises to further complicate Turkey-US relations as the incoming US administration’s tolerance of those who show contempt for democracy and rule of law diminishes. Turkey
Abbas' rival Dahlan coordinates UAE aid to Gaza as Palestinian elections near The United Arab Emirates has sent a new medical aid shipment to the Gaza Strip, the second in a month, to help cope with the coronavirus crisis, raising questions about the role of Fatah’s dismissed leader and President Mahmoud Abbas’ archrival Mohammed Dahlan. Palestine
Despite crackdown, Islamic State continues to kill, kidnap civilians in east Syria Despite a security crackdown carried out by the Syrian Democratic Forces, in coordination with the US-led coalition, in Deir ez-Zor, the Islamic State is kidnapping, threatening and killing civilians for money. Syria
Khamenei's vaccine ban paints dismal picture of Iranian health care The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed shortcomings in health care systems across the globe, and Iran is no exception. Iran