Analysis 'A complete disaster': Israel scrambles for clarity as Trump touts emerging Iran deal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relayed Israel’s red lines to Trump, but given the current rift between the two leaders, the demands may be little more than a wish list. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Iran-US draft deal would release $24B in funds, ensure Lebanon ceasefire: Iranian media The draft circulating in Iranian state media, which Trump denied on Friday, would grant Tehran sanctions relief and access to billions in frozen funds while limiting final talks to nuclear issues and excluding its missile program and proxies. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says no final decision yet on deal Tehran says a deal is not yet finalized as Washington drops a major case against Turkey and Riyadh restores trade ties with Lebanon. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Culture World Cup opens amid visa disputes for Iran, Iraq and Somalia Iran says a number of team staff were denied entry into the US, with Trump administration officials touting efforts to prevent affiliates of designated terrorist groups from entering. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Why rift between Iran’s moderates, hard-liners is really about republicanism The continuing public feud between Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah Yazdi suggests that the revolutionary clash between moderates and hard-liners over the nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran is far from over. Iran
Why Iran’s 'green gold' is set to rebound Despite being hit by climate change and sanctions, Iran’s millennia-old pistachio production appears set to increase production and export. United States
What is Rouhani seeking to achieve with his Citizens’ Rights Charter? Barely out from the printing press, the Iranian president’s long-promised Citizens’ Rights Charter is coming under fire, and not just for coming five months before his bid for re-election. Iran
Will Iran, Hamas break ties over Aleppo? Relations between Hamas and Iran have been especially tense since the group publicly condemned the violent battle for Aleppo. Palestine
Why did Iranian opposition leader resign from his own party? Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi, who has been under house arrest since 2011, has resigned as head of the Reformist party that he established. Iran
Why Iran sees Aleppo as chance to get in rather than out Rather than seeing the victory in Aleppo as an opportunity to wind down operations, the Syrian government’s Iranian ally appears to be preparing to push ahead with new offensives. Syria
How will Britain-Gulf rapprochement affect Egypt? Following British Prime Minister Theresa May's attendance at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, it seems cooperation between both sides could potentially worsen Egypt’s relations with the Gulf states. Legacy: Gulf
Christmas brings hope for peace for Aleppo’s Christians Christians part of region’s DNA, said incoming UN secretary-general; Turkey’s “impossible war”; Erdogan backers blame Iran for Aleppo. Egypt
Obama administration allows Americans to train Iranians New regulations unveiled Dec. 22 allow drug, medical device and agricultural experts to travel to Iran. United States
Did Zarif really say it was a 'mistake' to trust Kerry? Once again, Iranian hard-liners move to tarnish the reputation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif — this time by attributing to him false remarks about the “mistake” of trusting the United States. United States
Why Ankara now feels vulnerable to Russia The assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara has engaged Turkey to the Russian option in Syria, while Russia sees it as an opportunity to create an alternative axis in the Middle East Syria
Turkish Islamists’ trial with sectarianism Turkish Islamists’ Middle Eastern vision did not begin with a sectarian outlook, but the existing sectarian tension may change this. Turkey