Analysis How Netanyahu could attack Iran to force Israel into unity government after elections While a strike against Iran before the Oct. 27 elections appears unlikely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch one immediately afterward to pressure his rivals into joining a wartime unity government. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
US moving away from Middle East security guarantor role, Barrack says The US envoy said that direct US military intervention on the ground against the Houthis would be "fruitless." By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis Iran and Gaza: Why Trump's backing of Netanyahu may come with strings attached Netanyahu could offer Trump several concessions: hold off on striking Iran until after the Nov. 3 US midterms, ease restrictions on Gaza’s reconstruction or crack down on settler violence in the West Bank. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Lavrov visits Tehran as Trump praises Russia's role on Iran: What to know During a meeting with his Iranian counterpart earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed Moscow’s offer to mediate between Tehran and Washington. Iran
Analysis 'The problem and the solution': Netanyahu-Sharaa call exposes Israel's Syria dilemma By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Pressure mounts on Iran's president to skip the UN General Assembly The Iranian president’s planned trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly is sparking divisions among his political backers and opponents. United States
US-PLO row jeopardizes consular services for Palestinians Visas and other services may be collateral damage as the Donald Trump administration closes the Palestine Liberation Organization’s mission office in Washington. Palestine
Church groups outraged as US denies critical support to Jerusalem hospitals US President Donald Trump's decision to redirect $25 million earmarked for Palestinians in East Jerusalem hospitals to "high-priority projects elsewhere" leaves seriously ill patients caught in the middle of "political blackmail." Palestine
US friends in the Middle East lose a champion in John McCain The late senator from Arizona leaves behind a legacy as one of the Senate’s last prominent proponents of US interventionism. Iraq
Trump touts Mideast moves as Washington reels from 'Crazytown' accounts As accounts emerge of White House aides' internal resistance to some of Trump's controversial policy decisions, the president boasts of his decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, cut off Palestinian aid and pull the plug on the Iran nuclear deal. Palestine
Trump shelves Gulf talks until next year The White House has once again postponed a Gulf Cooperation Council summit aimed at bringing together the fragmented alliance to counter Iran. Saudi Arabia
Tehran summit to end Syrian war, says Iran media The summit taking place in Iran between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Friday can lead to the end of the Syrian civil war. Syria
Why Netanyahu keeps Oslo Accords alive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented successfully his plan of preserving the Oslo interim agreement, while distancing any possibility for a two-state solution. Palestine
Will Jordanians, Palestinians accept a confederation? Any deal that doesn’t include an end to the Israeli control of areas it occupied in 1967 will not succeed, including the creation of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation. Palestine
Pentagon adjusts war games to cope with Iran threat The US military is making changes to its Middle East drills to respond to the Donald Trump administration’s fears of a growing military threat from Iran. Congress
US cuts millions of dollars' worth of aid to Palestinians The United States continues to cut funds that had been designated as aid for the Gaza Strip and West Bank, this time withholding hundreds of millions of dollars. Palestine
Trump turns away from the Palestinians In a departure from past US administrations, the Donald Trump administration in a series of recent steps increasingly appears to be aligning the United States against the Palestinians on key issues in the conflict. Palestine
