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
Local Iraqi forces testing IS defenses in Anbar US-trained, local tribal fighters are preparing to cleanse Iraq's Anbar province of the Islamic State. Iraq
US, UK join Lebanon's strange military bedfellows The Lebanese army has been under-equipped for decades, so it must now coordinate with Hezbollah and the Syrian army in its offensive against Islamic militants on the border and with assistance from the United States and the United Kingdom. Lebanon
Moscow looking beyond Hifter in Libya Russia has an opportunity to play a significant role in achieving peace and political progress in Libya. North Africa
Tensions flare between US, Shiite factions in Iraq The recent escalation by Iran-affiliated Iraqi Shiite militias against US forces on the Iraqi-Syrian border may offer an early indication of the coming confrontation between the two sides after the Islamic State is eliminated from Iraq. Iraq
Why did tribes take up arms in Egypt's Sinai? Sheikh Issa al-Kharafin, the sheikh of the Rumailat tribe and the head of the North Sinai Sheikhdom, speaks to Al-Monitor about the pros and cons of the tribal decision to take up arms to help the army fight extremists. Egypt
South Yemen leader vows to continue fight against 'rebels' in north After his return from a tour that included Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of Yemen's South Transitional Council, talks to Al-Monitor about pressing local and regional issues. Legacy: Gulf
Rebel groups weigh options in Syria's east Armed opposition groups from Syria's eastern province of Deir ez-Zor are working on how to retake their city from the Islamic State before the Syrian regime does without having to ally with Kurdish forces. Syria
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham plots its next move in northern Syria Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is consolidating its influence in northern Syria, mainly in Idlib, and trying to position itself as a de facto interlocutor in political agreements reshaping the country. Syria
Iraq, Iran struggle for control over Popular Mobilization Units The Popular Mobilization Units are divided into two rival groups, with some wanting to join the Iraqi army and others wanting to remain independent. Iraq
