Syria arrests Amjad Youssef, Tadamoun massacre perpetrator: What to know Amjad Youssef appeared on video, allegedly killing dozens of civilians in 2013; he is the latest member of the Assad regime to be captured by the new Syrian government. Syria
Analysis Israel fears Trump angling for Lebanon deal to offset Iran missteps Some Israelis worry the US president might force them to accept an unsatisfactory agreement driven by his inability to secure a tangible achievement in Iran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Israel sees chance of US-Iran deal as almost 'non-existent,' readies for war As US President Trump makes contradictory statements regarding his intentions toward Iran and the ongoing negotiations, Israel is preparing for the possibility of resuming military operations. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Interview Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable' Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Al-Monitor that Israel will only be able to defang Hezbollah if it reaches an agreement with the Lebanese government.
Analysis As Lebanon-Israel talks loom, can Syria help in curbing Hezbollah? By Danny Makki In London, reporting on Syrian politics and culture
Saudis fail at their own conspiracy The fiasco surrounding the death of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh shows how Washington needs to help Saudi Arabia end the war on its neighbor. Saudi Arabia
Saleh killed in Yemen following peace overture; UAE denies Houthi missile claim Iranian media report, but the UAE denies, that the Houthis fired a missile toward Abu Dhabi over the weekend in response to a Saudi-brokered deal to return former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to power; Saleh was killed Dec. 4. Yemen
Israel, Iran duel on Syrian soil The growing presence of Iran in Syria, combined with attacks against a missile plant and a base for Iranian forces, indicate that Israel and Iran are practically already at war. Israel
Israel 'will not blink' on Iranian missiles The Israel Defense Forces set new red lines for Iran; Erdogan still waiting for Russian dividend on Kurds; Russia expands use of private military companies in Syria; the Islamic State and al-Qaeda at war in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt
The uncertain future of Palestinian security forces Egypt stands ready to unify Palestinian security forces through an organizational overhaul and training, but Hamas may not be accepting of the offer. Palestine
What next for PMU in Iraq's Anbar province? The flags of a powerful Shiite fighting force still fly from the main bridge into the Iraqi border town of Qaim weeks after it was retaken from the Islamic State. Iraq
Battle may be brewing in Sinai between al-Qaeda, IS groups As Egypt continues efforts to suppress violence in the Sinai Peninsula, a small band of al-Qaeda followers is looking to grow and challenge both Egypt's army and Islamic State loyalists. Egypt
Proposed US sanctions on PMU put Iraq in tough spot Proposed sanctions against factions of the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units would place the Iraqi government squarely in the middle of a tug of war between Iran and the United States. Iraq
Militias crack down on social, cultural life in Libya A crack down on comic books and video games has pushed militias and civil society farther away from each other, prompting the youth to think about fleeing the country. Libya
The other Iranians fighting in Iraq While much focus was on Iranian fighters among the Iraqi forces that retook disputed areas in October, other Iranian fighters played a key role in the other side of the fight. Iraq
The road to rebuilding Raqqa The city of Raqqa, newly liberated from the Islamic State by the Kurdish-led and US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, will now face the challenges of reconstruction and uprooting the jihadi threat once and for all. Iraq
Libya's rogue militias cut capital’s water supply A group of armed men cut off water supplies to the Libyan capital Tripoli, which indicates the fragility of resources in a country plagued by chaos. Libya
