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
UAE insists it’s not lobbying for sanctions against Turkey after all Lobbyists for the UAE embassy in Washington have clarified their talking points to Congress. United Arab Emirates
Turkey’s Libya gambit raises stakes in eastern Mediterranean Turkey’s military commitments to Libya’s Tripoli-based government have escalated the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey
Potential oil spill disaster looms off Yemen's coast, but who’s to blame? Calls are rising to separate the politics of the military conflict in Yemen from the issue of an abandoned oil tanker in the Red Sea, in light of a looming ecological disaster that could affect the entire region. Saudi Arabia
Tunisia's Ennahda vacillating over leader's future in the party Ennahda is slated to elect a new leader in May, but some members want the vote moved forward in light of the movement's leader, Rachid Ghannouchi, now also serving as speaker of parliament, but others appear to want bylaws to be changed to allow him to remain as movement head. Tunisia
Potential consensus candidate helps Hamas, Fatah communicate The name of Nasser al-Din al-Shaer, former deputy prime minister in the government of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, has been coming up as a potential consensus candidate in the Palestinian elections, given that he is close to both Hamas and Fatah. Palestine
Arab parties stand to gain from political chaos in Israel The Arab Joint List seeks to boost its number of seats in the Israeli Knesset in the March election by increasing turnout in the Arab community, with the ultimate goal of dealing a fatal blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, preventing him from forming a government. Palestine
Inside the US-Iran prisoner swap, and what comes next Can Washington and Tehran build on the success of the Swiss facilitated exchange? United States
Will Supreme Court force Netanyahu to 'go do other things'? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the criminal indictments against him shouldn't disqualify him from being eligible to form a government, but he was singing a different tune when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert merely faced the prospect of indictment. Israel
Iran condemns UN human rights resolution Iran has rejected a UN General Assembly resolution calling on it to stop abusing human rights, arguing that it is based on double standards. Iran
Facing US sanctions, credit-fueled Turkish economy heads toward turbulence Through measures to free up capital flows, Turkey’s economy weathered the 2018 currency crisis, but analysts remain uncertain the nation’s markets can absorb more shocks as US sanctions loom. Turkey
Intel: How Congress is putting Saudi fugitives on notice Congress is forcing the Donald Trump administration to disclose Riyadh’s alleged role in whisking Saudi fugitives out of the United States, some of whom are wanted for charges as severe as manslaughter, rape and possession of child pornography. Saudi Arabia
Is Netanyahu planning a preemptive attack against Hezbollah? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a preemptive attack against Iranian proxy Hezbollah, perhaps before the March elections. Israel