Trump says Kamala Harris 'hates' Israel as she calls for end to Gaza war In their first and perhaps only debate, neither Harris nor Trump offered a substantive plan to secure a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. Washington Connection
USS Georgia guided missile submarine arrives in Middle East The Georgia's arsenal multiplies the US Navy's precision-strike capabilities near Iranian shores as Israel awaits retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at an IRGC guest house in Tehran last month. United States
US-Turkish dual citizen shot dead in Israeli-occupied West Bank Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was killed while taking part in a march against the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Palestine
Analysis Can US broker Israel-Hezbollah deal in Lebanon absent a Gaza cease-fire? With talks between Israel and Hamas stalled, the Biden administration hopes to delink the Gaza war from the Lebanese border escalation, but the Israeli prime minister may be more focused on the US presidential election. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Philadelphi Corridor: Hamas lifeline or Netanyahu’s cease-fire poison pill? By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
US-led coalition ally targets State Department-funded Syrian Arab activists Syrian civil society activists in the country's largely Kurdish northeast are being arrested and held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, possibly as part of a campaign of intimidation. Syria
Intel: US, Iraq to meet on American troop presence Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced today that the United States and Iraq will convene next month to hammer out several thorny issues, including the status of US troops who remain stationed in Iraq. Iraq
Intel: Netanyahu, Gantz strike West Bank annexation deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, struck a deal today to annex parts of the West Bank as part of their bid to form a unity government. Palestine
Intel: Iran accuses US of blocking IMF loan request to fight coronavirus The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council publicly accused the United States on Sunday of blocking Iran’s request for a $5 million emergency loan request from the International Monetary Fund to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the country. United States
Many Iraqi politicians resent IRGC meddling in their affairs The new Quds Force commander visited Baghdad in an attempt to resume his predecessor's work, but he faced resistance from Iraqi politicians, who opposed his interference in domestic affairs. Iraq
Several rockets land near site of US oil company Halliburton in Iraq Three rockets have landed near a residential and office complex operated by Halliburton in the southern province of Basra. No casualties have been reported. Iraq
US, Iran-backed forces in Iraq may be edging toward showdown Iran's new Quds Force commander is trying to reunify Iraqi Shiite militias, and escalation against US forces seems to be his strategy. Iraq
Will Trump administration provide COVID-19 aid to the Palestinians? The US administration recently announced a global $274 million coronavirus aid package, but the Trump administration is nonetheless doubling down on the fight to eliminate all Palestinian aid. Palestine
Amid coronavirus concerns, some US-funded aid work paused in northeast Syria The United States intends to focus more on stabilizing Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah provinces as it suspends humanitarian operations in northeast Syria due to COVID-19. Syria
How the pandemic, plummeting oil prices could reshape Middle East COVID-19 will weaken fragile states, raising risk of failure but creating openings for diplomacy. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Iran sanctions debate highlights fissure between Democratic hawks, progressives The debate over how to respond to President Donald Trump’s sanctions regime against Iran in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic is creating a fissure between the hawkish and the left wings of the Democratic party. United States
Intel: Joe Biden uses coronavirus crisis to push for Iran sanctions relief Former Vice President Joe Biden, the overwhelming favorite to become the Democratic presidential nominee, came out in favor of humanitarian sanctions relief for Iran to help the embattled country cope with the coronavirus pandemic. United States