Saudi Arabia lifts 5-year ban on Lebanon imports: What to know Saudi Arabia had been a main donor for Lebanon before ties strained during Hezbollah’s rising influence in the country. Lebanon
Hezbollah calls on Lebanon to 'correct' relations with Iran Lebanese President Joseph Aoun recently told Iran to stay out of the country’s affairs, drawing a rebuke from Tehran. Lebanon
Analysis 'We are already hearing the bus': Israeli insiders fear Netanyahu is losing Trump’s backing on Iran “He couldn’t afford a confrontation with Trump, who was the last asset he had left,” a Netanyahu associate told Al-Monitor, describing the prime minister’s struggle to balance pressure for retaliation against Iran with the need to preserve his alliance with the US president. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
US military helped Israel intercept Iran's missiles: What to know Iranian barrages targeting Israel came after Israeli warplanes struck the outskirts of Beirut, despite the White House publicly signaling its opposition to such strikes. Iran
Analysis Israel’s Lebanon endgame remains elusive despite ceasefire deal By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Analysis Why Israel sees Lebanon’s 'pilot zones' as path to containing Hezbollah By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Challenges still stalk Syrian peace efforts Despite the apparent progress in peace talks, there's still a lot of maneuvering going on in Syria — on the ground and among the many parties involved. Syria
Moscow welcomes Libya’s fighting factions Russia continues to boost its image as a peacemaker in the Middle East by engaging both of Libya’s warring parties. Libya
Latest Syria peace talks solidify final de-escalation zone Russia, Turkey and Iran met with opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to ink an agreement on the four safe zones. Syria
Is this beginning of the end for Idlib's jihadi groups? Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is facing several setbacks in Idlib including internal discord as foreign powers plan a military offensive against them. Syria
Aoun sees role for Hezbollah until threats to Lebanon cease Speaking to Al-Monitor ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Lebanese President Michel Aoun spoke about the refugee crisis facing his country, Hezbollah's role amid the ongoing regional crisis and Beirut's expanding ties with Moscow. Lebanon
Opening Homs-Hama road proving tricky for all sides in Syria Conflicting reports about the opening of the Homs-Hama road have been issued as both the Syrian regime and opposition look to leverage the strategic route. Syria
Congress fuels Christian rivalries with bid to arm Iraqi militias A House effort to arm Iraqi Christian militias risks making an already tense standoff in the Ninevah Plains even worse. Iraq
Divided Syrian opposition tries for unified army again As the Syrian opposition faces major setbacks on the battlefield, the Syrian Interim Government and FSA factions have been discussing the formation of a unified national army in hopes of changing the tide. Syria
Congress rejects growing effort to replace 2001 war authorization The US Senate today took up the post-9/11 military mandate for the first time since its enactment 16 years ago. United States
FSA relocating to outside Syria's liberated areas The Free Syrian Army factions in areas liberated in northern Syria are moving their forces out of cities and towns to the outskirts in an effort to end clashes with civilians and ease the minds of returning residents. Syria
Pro-Iranian Shiite factions lose popular support in Iraq The recent agreement between Hezbollah and a group of pro-Islamic State fighters to arrange their evacuation from the Lebanese-Syrian border to the Syrian-Iraqi border triggered an outburst of public anger against Hezbollah and Iraqi factions fighting alongside Hezbollah on Syrian territory for years. Iraq
Iran plays Hamas card Iran's improved relations with Turkey, Qatar and Hamas send a message to the region. Palestine
