The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
All eyes are on Hezbollah in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor As the war is heating up in eastern Syria, specifically in Deir ez-Zor, the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and allied fighters are vying with US-backed Syrian democratic forces for control of areas liberated from the Islamic State. Iraq
Hasm claims embassy bombing in Cairo, may be looking to expand The Hasm movement in Egypt has been behind attacks against figures close to the regime, but since it said it perpetrated the Myanmar Embassy attack in Cairo, authorities are looking at the group's potential to grow. Egypt
With imports and deficit down, are things looking up for Egypt? Some in Egypt see a decline in imports and decreased trade deficit as temporary phenomena, while others believe it to be an opportunity to develop the country's industrial base. Egypt
Will new tribal council ease Turkey's load in Syria? Twenty-nine tribes and clans in the areas liberated during Operation Euphrates Shield announced the formation of a tribal council with the support of Turkey. Syria
Trump’s policies radicalize Israeli, Palestinian stances President Donald Trump’s shift toward more radical policy positions on the Middle East is generating a radicalization in the tactical positions of both Israelis and Palestinians. Palestine
Congress pushes for new Iran sanctions amid Iran deal uncertainty With Trump set to announce a new, hard-line strategy on Iran today, lawmakers are advancing more sanctions on Tehran and its proxies. Syria
US diplomats cast doubt on America’s ability to constrain Iran With the Donald Trump administration poised to announce a more confrontational stance, career diplomats fear it could be too late to contend with a rising Tehran. United States
'Breath': Iran's first Oscar nominee by female director Iranian films have won several Oscars for best foreign language film, but this year’s nominee is the first directed by a woman. Iran
Is Erdogan's blame for ambassador overture to Trump? As Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rains blame on US Ambassador John Bass for the crisis between Ankara and Washington, some analysts wonder if Erdogan's tirades are an attempt to offer the "unique" US administration a way out of its visa move. Turkey
Iran's Intelligence Ministry, judiciary clash over sentenced nuclear negotiator Iran’s Intelligence Ministry denies claims by Iran’s judiciary that a sentenced Iranian nuclear negotiator was a spy. Iran
Iran wary of Trump’s plans in Iraqi Kurdistan Iranian concerns about the Trump administration’s plans for Iraqi Kurdistan appear to be tempering Tehran’s fury with Erbil over the Sept. 25 independence referendum. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Turkish telecom giant may end up in government hands again The 2005 privatization of Turkish telecommunication company Turk Telekom, the largest in Turkey’s history, may go to waste as the majority stakeholders are struggling to repay loans. Saudi Arabia
