Turkish opposition blames Erdogan for Turks killed in Iraq Turkey's biggest opposition party has blamed the president for the deaths of 13 Turkish hostages in Iraqi Kurdistan over the weekend. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Iran denies involvement in Erbil rocket strike The Iranian Foreign Ministry said attempts to blame Tehran for the attack are "suspicious." By Al-Monitor Staff
Dutch far-right politician under investigation for calling Turkish president a terrorist The controversial Geert Wilders has had spats with the Turkish government before amid wider crises between Turkey and the Netherlands. By Al-Monitor Staff
Militia attacks on US forces in Erbil challenges Iraqi government A rocket attack on a US base in northern Iraq is putting pressure on the Iraqi government and challenging the Biden administration's policy in Iraq. By Hassan Al-Saeed
Inside Turkey’s raid on Iraqi cave where 13 captives were killed The aftershocks of Turkey’s controversial raid on a PKK base inside Iraq are likely to pose the first test to the Biden administration in its complex relations with Turkey and Iraq. By Metin Gurcan
Iran reports growing infections from UK coronavirus variant A total of 17 cases attributed to the UK strain have been detected, mostly across Qazvin province, as other areas are also grappling with a new peak in overall COVID-19 infections and mortalities. By Al-Monitor Staff
Israel's ambassador says not interested in working with US on return to Iran deal The Biden administration has pledged to consult with Israel and other allies before making any moves to join the landmark nuclear deal. By Al-Monitor Staff
Israeli mayors offer gifts, incentives for people to get vaccinated Some Israeli mayors offer gifts and benefits for residents getting vaccinated; others sanction those who refuse. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
How Turkey became unsafe haven for dissidents While Ankara requests the most renditions of any country, its own borders remain extremely porous, its security personnel vulnerable to corruption and its territory a playground for foreign intelligence services. By Pinar Tremblay
Coup row haunts Turkish-US ties Amid an already frosty start with the new US administration, Ankara has renewed accusations that Washington was behind the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. By Ayla Ganioglu
Egyptian parliament hopes to counter US Congress criticism on human rights Egypt’s parliament is ramping up efforts to deal with the US Congress’ criticism of the human rights situation in Egypt, as it passed a motion to send delegations to the United States. By A correspondent in Egypt
Netanyahu’s pick of Iran file envoy signals confrontation with US Picking national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat over real Iran experts such as Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen or retired Gen. Amos Yadlin means that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not believe dialoguing with the Biden administration on Iran will do any good. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
ICC ruling means war crimes investigations go both ways The International Criminal Court’s ruling that it has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories has pleased many residents but alarmed others that Palestinian leaders could face investigations they fear will be political. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Gulf states’ quest to find ‘new oil’ turns to hydrogen Unrivaled expertise in the energy industry and a growing global market for hydrogen is pushing Gulf oil exporters to invest in the global realignment toward cleaner energies. By Sebastian Castelier In Dubai, reporting on regional business
Blinken walks back State Department ambiguity over Turkish hostages killed in Iraq After an earlier statement suggesting Washington didn't necessarily buy Ankara's narrative on the killings, the State Department today said that "PKK terrorists bear responsibility." By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Iraq finally makes arrests in killing of anti-government protesters Iraqi security forces arrested four suspects for allegedly killing Iraqi protesters and activists. By Hassan Al-Saeed