Analysis Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil Turkey and Egypt are expanding military cooperation as overlapping security challenges, from Libya and Sudan to Gaza and the Red Sea, bring the former rivals closer together. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Vance turning us into 'punching bag': Israel fumes over alleged IRGC-CENTCOM channel in Doha The US-Iran decision to launch direct talks between the IRGC and CENTCOM in Qatar deepens the rift between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while heightening Israeli fears that Washington is shifting toward Doha and Tehran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Iran attacks cargo ship off Oman, testing Trump’s Hormuz Strait deal The first Iranian attack on a cargo vessel since the ceasefire comes as top US diplomat Marco Rubio huddled with Gulf Cooperation Council ministers in Manama to reject Iran's claims to control the Strait of Hormuz. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Trump hints at F-35 breakthrough with Turkey ahead of NATO summit The administration is moving ahead with planned jet engine sales to Ankara ahead of next month’s NATO summit despite congressionally mandated sanctions on Turkey's defense industry. Turkey
CENTCOM commander heads to Israel, Gulf as Lebanon talks stall By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis As US reshapes Lebanon strategy, Israel finds itself sidelined By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Analysis Why Gulf defense firms are betting on Europe in wake of Iran war By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Analysis How Netanyahu used Lebanon strikes to push back on Trump’s Iran deal By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Israeli and German jets fly over Munich Olympics massacre site, Dachau concentration camp The joint exercises this week mark the first ever between Israel and Germany on German soil. Israel
State Department legally skirted Congress freeze on Saudi arms sales, inquiry finds An inspector general's report redacted by the State Department says that while the department found ways to legally bypass congressional restrictions on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, measures that Congress had called for were not taken. Saudi Arabia
Trump Pentagon nominee questioned about firm's link to killing of Saudi journalist The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding up the nomination of Louis Bremer over questions whether his firm trained those implicated in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. United States
Rockets hit Iraqi base used by coalition troops, no casualties The attack came as the US-led coalition prepares to hand over the base to Iraqi security forces. Iraq
Coronavirus likely to delay Pentagon war games in Mideast to 2021 Mideast war exercises planned for this year are likely to be delayed until 2021, and other war games scheduled for next year may be delayed until 2022. Egypt
Is Erdogan after a Caucasus adventure? Ankara’s harsh outbursts in favor of Baku in Azerbaijan’s rekindled conflict with Armenia might be aimed at domestic consumption as well as pressuring Russia into concessions in Libya and Syria. Turkey
Intel: White House sympathizes with France in Libya row with Turkey White House National Security adviser Robert O’Brien on Wednesday expressed sympathy for France’s account of events in a Mediterranean naval standoff with Turkey last month over a Libyan arms smuggling allegation. Turkey
US military consolidates footprint in Iraq amid pressure from Baghdad The Pentagon's top general overseeing forces in the Middle East, Gen. Frank McKenzie, visited Baghdad this week amid a reshuffle of the US troop presence in the country in coordination with plans to bring in more NATO advisers. Iraq
Congress revives bid to pull US out of Yemen war The Democratic-held House is taking another stab at ending US support for the Saudi coalition’s war against Yemen’s Houthis. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Pentagon to accept Turkey-made F-35 parts through 2022 The Pentagon will continue to accept Turkish-made parts for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter through 2022, despite the United States’ vow to kick Ankara off the program by this year. Turkey
Egypt calls emergency Arab League meeting on Libya The meeting is expected to be held next week to discuss recent developments in the Libyan conflict. Egypt
Rockets hit Baghdad's Green Zone again A series of such attacks is happening as the United States and Iraq discuss the future of the US military presence in the country. Iraq
