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
Iraq's Falcon Intelligence Cell wants to root out corruption The head of the Falcon Intelligence Cell, Abu Ali al-Basri, spoke to Al-Monitor about the lingering Islamic State presence in the country and discussed his idea of setting up a similar team to fight corruption. Iraq
Israel’s third election only intensified political chaos Four days after the elections in Israel, all the different sides are still squabbling among themselves as if the election isn’t over yet. Israel
Palestinians insist that there is no back channel with Washington Is there or isn’t there a back channel of talks between the Palestinians and the US administration? Palestine
LGBTQ association achieves major legal milestone in Tunisia A Tunisian court granted legal protection to Shams, a Tunisian association defending LGBTQ rights, setting a major precedence in the region. North Africa
Did Netanyahu celebrate his victory too early? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thought that he had won the elections, but now finds out that the road toward a majority government is long, if not impossible. Israel
Can Israeli Arabs settle political score with Netanyahu? The Arab Joint List is ready to cooperate, even with Yisrael Beitenu’s Avigdor Liberman, to pass a law preventing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a new government. Israel
What the US-Afghan agreement means for Iran The US agreement with the Taliban could prove to be an added burden to Iran, which has serious concerns about the deal creating instability in neighboring Afghanistan. United States
AIPAC gets Democrats to help Trump chip away at nuclear deal AIPAC is marshaling significant bipartisan backing for a bid to extend the Iran nuclear deal’s first sunset provision as hawks push for snapback sanctions at the United Nations. United States
Pentagon says Patriot sale to Turkey still on table The United States is reportedly still considering supplying Patriot missile systems to Turkey in what the administration may see as an opportunity to convince Ankara to walk back from the Russian system it acquired last year. Syria
Turkey looks to Russia for 'quick cease-fire' in Syria President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss a truce in Turkey's offensive against the Syrian army during talks in Moscow, seeking to avert a new refugee influx even as another humanitarian crisis deepens on Turkey's border with Greece. Syria
Iran’s IRGC claims it's close to producing coronavirus vaccine As the coronavirus marches across Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that its research teams are set to produce a vaccine. Iran
Why Otzmah Yehudit flamed out in Israeli elections The decline in support for Otzmah Yehudit, which once again failed to pass the vote threshold to enter the Knesset, was especially notable in the settlements. Israel