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
Israel 2019, at the mercy of the Chief Rabbinate The Haifa rabbinical court decided to take children out of their mother's custody, because the mother was not keeping a religious lifestyle. Israel
Iraqi president pledges early elections while protesters call for more radical solutions After a meeting with heads of parliamentary blocs and other top officials, Iraqi President Barham Salih announces a reform plan in response to protester demands. Iraq
Palestinians criticize Hamas’ decision to appoint municipal presidents Hamas is lambasted for appointing municipality presidents without holding elections in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Trump’s amity with Erdogan deepens Turkey’s isolation The double blow the US House dealt Turkey over its military campaign in Syria shows how wrong Erdogan is to rely solely on his personal relationship with Trump to manage ties with the United States. Turkey
Cairo seeks mediation for talks on Ethiopian dam Cairo has decided to seek international mediation for struggling negotiations on Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Algeria’s hydrocarbon reform adds fuel to protest movement Algeria’s interim government claims to be undertaking economic reforms of the energy sector, but protesters see the effort as an attempt to shore up economic and diplomatic support heading into December presidential elections. Algeria
How will Hamas participate in upcoming elections? After Hamas announced its readiness to participate in Palestinian elections, the leadership is considering the current circumstances and past experiences in order to come up with an effective way to take part in the polls. Palestine
Kurds in northeast Syria feel abandoned by allies Russian military police began joint patrols with Turkish forces near the Syrian-Turkish border as part of an agreement under which Kurdish fighters would withdraw from the area. Syria
Congress sounds alarm on weaponization of Syrian aid The US Congress is warning that Turkey and Russia could join the Syrian government in blocking humanitarian aid for the war-torn country even as lawmakers seek to redirect it from regime-held territory. Iraq
Interview Saudi Arabia still awaiting signs of ‘goodwill’ from Iran In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud talks about the "dramatic effect" of the September attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and says there will be no official Saudi contacts with Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved. Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US
Astana trio, UN launch Syrian Constitutional Committee The launch of the Syrian Constitutional Committee provides hopes for a fresh start, but there's also enough room for skepticism. Syria
Hard-line brothers seek to oust Iran's old guard conservatives A new wave of Iranian hard-liners who embrace the teachings of the late Ayatollah Khomeini is looking to replace the entrenched conservatives that the younger grouping thinks have strayed from the path. Iran