Explainer Turkey slams France-Cyprus military pact as East Med rivalries deepen Ankara says a defense deal between France and the Republic of Cyprus risks upsetting the island’s delicate balance, as defense ties among Cyprus, Greece, Israel and France deepen. Turkey
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
Vance says US and Israel's 'interests diverge' on Iran nuclear issue: What to know The rare admission by top Trump administration official comes as polling show US alignment with Israel in war against Iran is political baggage among a growing number of Republican voters. United States
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 Why Iran strikes on Kuwait pose dilemma for US Navy’s blockade By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Gantz, King Abdullah discuss regional stability Clearly it is no coincidence that Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz met in Amman with Jordanian King Abdullah one week only after hosting in his Rosh Ha’ayin home Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel
Will Germany freeze the arms deal with Egypt? The mutual escalation between Egypt and Germany regarding the human rights situation in Egypt and the threat to freeze the military deal agreed upon by German Chancellor Angela Merkel before her departure to Egypt raised several questions about the future of the relationship between the two countries as a new government takes over the country. Egypt
Benny Gantz, Mahmoud Abbas see eye to eye on security risks Embracing an opposite approach to that of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz tries reinforcing the status of the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel
Here's what the 2022 NDAA has to say about the Middle East These are the key takeaways on what the 2022 NDAA says – and doesn’t say – about US policy in the region. United States
Israel concerned over Hamas involvement in West Bank attacks There are voices in Israel demanding retaliation against Hamas whenever it gets involved in West Bank terror attacks. Israel
Lebanon and Iraq ink defense cooperation agreement Lebanese Defense Minister Maurice Sleem is in Iraq for an official visit. News Brief
Israeli, Russian foreign ministers discuss key regional issues via phone With the second round of Iran nuke talks resuming in Vienna, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speaks on the phone with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. Israel
Intel: US concerned over Iran, Turkey, UAE-supplied drones in Ethiopia war Ethiopia's government has rejected calls for a cease-fire after routing Tigray rebels with the help of high-tech foreign drones. The Horn of Africa
US national security adviser meets with Bennett, Lapid, Gantz in Israel Facing growing pressure from Jerusalem on the Vienna talks, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met yesterday in Israel with President Isaac Herzog and today with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz. Israel
Drone sales could dampen Turkey’s African venture Turkey has made major economic and diplomatic strides in Africa since the early 2000s, but growing military sales to African countries raise the specter of a risky shift. Turkey
West Bank terror attacks challenge Bennett Recent terror attacks in the West Bank have put Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a complicated spot with his right-wing base. Israel
Ukraine to decide soon on opening embassy in Jerusalem Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk says the decision to open an office of the embassy to Jerusalem is probably a matter of months. Israel