After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Intel: Pompeo calls on Syria to release US prisoners amid coronavirus fears Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today urged President Bashar al-Assad to release all “arbitrarily detained” Syrians and US citizens amid fears that the coronavirus pandemic is primed to rapidly take hold and spread throughout the war-torn country. Originals
Bahrain claims success with anti-malarial drug used on coronavirus patients Bahrain says that hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug promoted by US President Donald Trump to treat COVID-19, was successful in treating coronavirus patients. Bahrain
Intel: How the US is relying on Riyadh to reassure global markets In a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Saudi Arabia to “rise to the occasion” as the escalating coronavirus crisis and the kingdom’s standoff with Russia continue to hammer global markets. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Pompeo urges Europe to join Iran pressure campaign in G-7 teleconference Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used a teleconference of leading industrialized nations' foreign ministers to urge tougher international action on Iran and its regional proxies in line with the US maximum pressure campaign. United States
Sex offenders may walk as lawmakers mull releasing one in three Turkish prisoners Turkish women's rights groups have denounced a bill that would reduce sentences for sex offenders and other convicts to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus in prisons. Turkey
Mossad, Netanyahu’s secret weapon against the coronavirus Israel’s Mossad received instructions to get ventilators and coronavirus test kits from wherever it can, at whatever price and by whatever means. Israel
Arab legislator to chair Knesset committee, undeterred by incitement The appointment of Arab Knesset member Aida Touma-Suleiman to head the Welfare and Labor Committee generated racist reactions and incitement to hatred, but she is not upset. Israel
Coronavirus restrictions leave over 1,000 Algerians stranded in Istanbul’s airport Algeria has closed its borders, leaving over 1,000 Algerians stranded at an Istanbul airport. Turkey
Defaulted Lebanon hopes to pay off debts with cannabis As soon as parliament returns from its closure over the novel coronavirus outbreak, a bill legalizing cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes is expected to pass as lawmakers address the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. Lebanon
Iran hopes for partial sanctions relief amid epidemic President Hassan Rouhani claims Iranian assets abroad could soon be unfrozen, but US has no plans to lift sanctions. Iran
Intel: US provides aid to help Iraq fight coronavirus The US Embassy in Baghdad announced today that is providing $670,000 to help Iraq fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. Iraq
Israel’s synagogues close doors for first time over coronavirus Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had avoided a complete nationwide lockdown, but with new COVID-19 cases continuing to rise, new directives have closed the nation's places of prayer. Israel