Explainer SDF chief Kobane’s Damascus visit a high wire act for Syria’s Kurds The SDF says its integration with Damascus is complete, but major questions remain over its fighters, weapons and the future of Kurdish self-rule. Syria
Houthis claim strike on Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu: What to know The incident is the latest in a string of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil and military assets. Yemen
Ex-defense minister: Israel in ‘worst possible’ Gaza situation as Hamas gains strength Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant criticized the Israeli government for allowing Hamas to retain control over half of the Gaza Strip. Israel
Wreck of ship sunk by Israeli military in Irgun clash found after 78 years The wreck of the Irgun underground's Altalena ship, bombed by the Israeli military in 1948 and deliberately sunk in 1949, was located off Israel's coast at a depth of 1,650 feet. Israel
Analysis Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
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
Are Yemeni rebels imploding? Saudi Arabia's hope to exit the Yemen scene could depend largely on Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Yemeni rebel factions' falling apart. Saudi Arabia
How Islamic State is undermining peace prospects in Libya As Libya’s rival parties are moving forward toward a political solution, it seems that the Islamic State and other extremist organizations are re-emerging on the internal scene in a bid to torpedo any such efforts for peace. Libya
US targets Islamic State fighters leaving Lebanon after cease-fire US airstrikes blocked the militants’ route to the Syrian war zone of Deir ez-Zor near the border with Iraq. Lebanon
Why did Turkey expel Iraqi Kurdish leader? Turkey abruptly shut down the office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which had been in Ankara since the 1990s, following the PKK's reported abduction of Turkish intelligence agents in an area under PUK control. Originals
How AKP supporters learned to live with Assad Having vilified President Bashar al-Assad for years, President Erdogan and his supporters are backing off their previous threats against the Syrian president with the growth of Kurdish groups in Syria. Syria
Israel takes stock of Putin’s pull with Iran There’s a flurry of positioning as Iran, Russia, the United States and Israel all want assurances about the future balance of power in Syria. Israel
Moscow, Cairo discuss boosting ties Representatives of Russia and Egypt seemed pleased with the outcome of their meetings this week, as they touched base on current regional developments and talked through their perspectives. Qatar
What Iran-Qatar reset means for Syria Iran adds another “Sunni” power to its regional network; Turkey ponders next moves in Idlib; Israel presents the “big picture” on Iran in Washington and Sochi, Russia; Akiva Eldar on Israel’s silence over Charlottesville. Saudi Arabia
