Benny Gantz fighting for his political life Although officers who served with Benny Gantz — currently Israel's defense minister — when he was the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff are urging him to drop out of the upcoming March elections, the head of the Blue and White party is not about to surrender. Israel
Massive oil spill blackens Israeli coast Though a gag order has been relaxed, little is known about the extent of the damage caused by a major oil spill to Israel's marine ecosystems and beaches. Israel
Biden approves airstrike on Iran-backed militias in Syria following Iraq attacks Officials suggested the late-night precision bombing was designed to minimize casualties while avoiding backlash from the Iraqi government. Iraq
Bahraini crown prince, Israel’s Netanyahu discuss Iran nuclear deal The call between the Israeli and Bahraini leaders came as the Biden administration seeks to re-enter the Iranian nuclear agreement. Bahrain
Bernie Sanders criticizes Israel over vaccine situation in Palestinian territories The Israeli prime minister's son responded to Sanders on Twitter, saying Israel is not responsible for vaccinating Palestinians. The spat followed reports Israel is giving surplus vaccines to allies abroad. Israel
Saudi Arabia wants in on Nile dam dispute Saudi Arabia has stated its step into the deadlock between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over Addis Ababa’s controversial dam on the Nile River, but just what Riyadh has new to offer is unclear. Saudi Arabia
How Egypt benefits from gas agreement with Israel Egypt and Israel agreed to establish a pipeline connecting Israel’s offshore Leviathan natural gas field to the liquified natural gas terminal in Egypt, a move that was hailed as a major step toward economic, political and security gains for Cairo. Egypt
Supporters hope jailed activist will benefit from Egypt-Palestine warming Egypt's increasingly harmonious ties with Palestinians are raising hopes that prominent activist Ramy Shaath will be removed from Egypt's terror list and released from prison. Palestine
Israel expanding decades-old secret nuclear site in Negev Desert: report The Dimona facility appears to be undergoing its largest construction in decades, but it's not clear why. Israel
Violent protests spread across Iran border province Chaos, tension and a widespread internet blackout were reported from Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan three days after security forces killed a number of local fuel traders. Iran
Twitter removes more Iran-based accounts as part of investigation Twitter began removing the accounts in October when the FBI said the users were seeking to "disrupt the public conversation" surrounding the US presidential elections. Iran
Turkish-Iranian rivalry heats up over Mosul Turkey’s increasing focus on Iraq’s Sinjar region is linked to a broader rivalry with Iran for influence over Mosul. Turkey
With Turkey set to reopen schools, educators and health experts urge caution amid pandemic Turkey will resume widescale face-to-face education March 1 as some educators and health experts warn premature normalization measures could spur a rise in coronavirus cases. Turkey
Emirates to resume flights to Newark The resumption means the Dubai-based airline will soon have two flights to the New York City area as it continues to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. United Arab Emirates
The Israel-Russia-Syria deal: Cost, beneficiaries and future deals As Israel and Syria conclude a deal on the return of an Israeli woman from Syria, questions arise regarding the cost and what the future of such transactions with Russian mediation should be. Israel
Biden calls Saudi king as US readies report on Khashoggi killing Reuters reports the US intelligence assessment concluded "the crown prince approved and likely ordered the murder of Khashoggi.” Saudi Arabia
