Iran receives COVID-19 vaccine from Cuba Iran enjoys warm relations with the Latin American state and the two countries are also developing a coronavirus vaccine together. Iran
Provocative music video leads to arrests in Iran Iran has arrested two music producers for working on Sasan Heidari Yafteh's new music video, "Tehran Tokyo." Iran
US, Western countries jointly condemn Egypt’s rights abuses Thirty-one member countries at the UN Human Rights Council issued a rare rebuke of Cairo's crackdown on peaceful dissent. Egypt
Washington’s Afghan plan diplomatic godsend for Ankara A US peace plan for Afghanistan, involving intra-Afghan talks in Turkey, could offer Ankara a chance to raise its international profile and break the ice with Washington. Turkey
Hamas appoints first woman to political bureau Hamas announced March 14 appointing a woman as a member in its political bureau for the first time since its establishment in 1987, in an attempt to improve its image to the world and deny the patriarchal aspect of its leadership structure. Palestine
Tunisian LGBT activist imprisoned after reporting police harassment The concerns of civil society organizations and the international community have grown stronger regarding restrictions on personal freedoms after a Tunisian court ruled against LGBT rights activist Rania Amdouni. Tunisia
Netanyahu holds second vaccine summit with leaders of Hungary, Czech Republic In Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest effort to create international vaccine alliances, he hosted Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Jerusalem. Israel
Did Jordan generate a crisis, or was it Israel's fault? It is unclear whether the diplomatic crisis is only the result of poor Israeli judgment, or Jordan actually generating it. United Arab Emirates
Israeli Arabs wonder how COVID-19 will shape Ramadan 2021 With vaccination rates still relatively low in Israeli-Arab towns and villages, residents there wonder how the upcoming month of Ramadan will look like. Israel
EU: No Syria reconstruction aid until Assad leaves Josep Borrell marked the 10th anniversary of Syria's civil war by doubling down on US-led policy to isolate Assad Syria
Turkey aims to vaccinate 50 million by fall, health minister says Turkey, a country of 89 million people, has so far administered more than 10.5 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine. Turkey
Hamas claims Israeli drone, not Palestinian rocket, killed 3 fishermen Hamas said the fishermen were killed by an explosives-carrying Israeli drone they found at sea, but others say it may have come from Palestinian rocket fire. Palestine
Emirati and Israeli companies pledge to work together on anti-drone technology The UAE’s EDGE and Israel Aerospace Industries agreed to develop a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System for the Emirates. Originals
Jordan reinstates partial lockdown as coronavirus deaths spike New infections are ravaging Jordan, where vaccination efforts are lagging far behind what health experts say is needed. Jordan
Khamenei stands defiant on Iran’s regional military presence In a speech replete with diatribes against the United States, Iran’s supreme leader defended his country’s controversial regional policies and accused Washington of “inverting the truth.” Iran