Trump says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by three weeks President Trump said the second meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese envoys went "very well." Lebanon
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds? Damascus is making limited but tangible progress in its engagement with Syrian Kurds, even as Ankara seeks to shape the terms of any settlement. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US troops depart Syria, ending decade of presence in fight against ISIS The last major American bases in Syria have been turned over to the government in Damascus, US military officials confirmed to Al-Monitor. Syria
The Islamic State in Iran The court proceedings against alleged Islamic State members and sympathizers who facilitated the attacks in Tehran last year offer a rare insight into how the terrorist group operates in Iran. Iran
Key arrests tighten noose around Islamic State's Baghdadi Iraq's capture of five key members of the Islamic State organization will assist the Iraqi intelligence service in destroying the organization and preventing its emergence in a new form. Iraq
Iraqi air force targets IS sites in Syria ahead of elections Despite earlier opposition to any Iraqi military intervention in Syria, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the air force to strike Islamic State sites in Syria for the second time this year. Iraq
Will Iraqi elections avoid traditional sectarian divides? While the May 12 elections include Shiite candidates running in predominantly Sunni areas and vice versa, Iraqis are divided over whether or not this represents a step toward overcoming sectarian divides. Iraq
Electoral commission attack destabilizes shaky situation in Libya The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the May 2 attack on Libya’s High National Election Commission headquarters in Tripoli, raising more security concerns for the upcoming elections. Libya
Pentagon blows deadline to pry Iraq off US military aid The Donald Trump administration will continue to foot the bill for rebuilding Iraq’s defense institutions amid rising Iranian influence. Iraq
Egypt, Russia making most of collaboration prospects Moscow and Cairo are fostering cooperation in various areas and are sure to maintain close bilateral relations in the midterm. Egypt
Rural areas southwest of Kirkuk grapple with fears of IS sleeper cells The Fatha road snakes behind the heavily damaged Beiji oil refinery, crossing between the low-altitude Hamreen and Makhoul mountain ranges into an area of okra fields and mullahs who fear Islamic State (IS) sleeper cells. Iraq
Baghdad clamps down on cross-border arms smuggling While security along the Iraqi-Syrian border has improved with the near defeat of the Islamic State, Iraqi security forces still have their hands full trying to prevent arms smuggling and attacks by what is left of the terror group. Iraq
US ramps up counter-WMD spending amid Mideast proliferation threats The Pentagon is putting $6 million into countering weapons of mass destruction in five Middle Eastern countries, as US special operations forces take control of the fight. Syria
Counter-IS officials temper Trump’s rush to pull out of Syria US officials guiding the fight in Syria warned of a long struggle ahead to defeat the Islamic State. Iraq
Yazidis in Iraq's Sinjar brace for possible Turkish attack The Yazidi community, which only recently faced Islamic State attacks, is now getting ready for a Turkish military operation in Sinjar announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Iraq
