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
Turkish lira slips further as Central Bank unlikely to raise rates The Turkish currency dipped further Monday as few economic analysts expect the nation’s Central Bank to reverse an easing cycle that’s kept borrowing costs below inflation. Turkey
Bulgarian court sentences two men in bus bombing that killed Israelis Bulgaria said that two dual citizens of Lebanon were responsible for the Black Sea attack that targeted Israeli tourists in 2012; Hezbollah has denied involvement. Israel
Bahrain claims it foiled Iranian-backed terrorist attacks Bahrain has charged 18 people with allegedly plotting attacks in the country with support from Iran. Bahrain
Iraq cracks down on illegal arms flow to militias, armed groups Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s government has launched a campaign in southern provinces to get illegal arms out of the hands of militias and tribal groups. Iraq
Is Egypt sidelining its Libyan ally? Egypt has for the first time hosted a delegation from western Libya, which may point to the possible marginalization of eastern military commander Khalifa Hifter in upcoming peace talks. Egypt
Jordan clings to two-state solution in wake of normalization deals With normalization deals being signed and regional dynamics in flux, Jordan is trying to adapt to what it fears is faltering Arab support for the Palestinian issue and a two-state solution. Palestine
Trump administration leveraged terror designation to push Sudan to recognize Israel Last minute White House gambit risked efforts to obtain compensation for families of victims of the 1998 embassy bombings, sources tell Al-Monitor. Israel
Israel’s Gulf diplomacy and its discontents As Israel and its new regional partners begin trade talks, Palestinians, Israeli Arabs and the Israeli left are on the sidelines. United Arab Emirates
Tel Aviv battles against strip clubs New regulations adopted by the Tel Aviv municipality would enable it to ban new striptease clubs in the city and render such openings a criminal offense. Israel
'Cuties' spurs calls by Egyptian authorities to censor Netflix There have been increasing calls in Egypt to censor certain Netflix content, while art critics believe it would be difficult to censor the work of the global network. Egypt
Turkish border guards reportedly abusing Syrians at border crossings Hundreds of Syrians try to cross every day to Turkey, whose borders are now closed, making them take illegal smuggling routes; dozens have been subjected to inhuman treatment by the Turkish border guards. Syria
Family of Palestinian boy disfigured in 2015 firebomb attack still seeking justice An Israeli court sentenced to life imprisonment the Jewish settler behind the 2015 arson attack in the village of Duma in the northern West Bank, which killed three members of the Dawabsha family, but the family says the court’s decision is not enough. Palestine