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
Kurds reject proposed rival force in Kirkuk The law to establish the National Guard forces in Iraq raised the ire of Kurds in northern Iraq who would rather remain in full control of their areas. Iraq
Arms shipment to Lebanon to arrive in April French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has announced that the first arms shipment of the Saudi grant, which has been stalled for more than year, will arrive to Lebanon on April 1. Saudi Arabia
Senate aims to set up vote on Iran deal by month's end The Foreign Relations panel expects to soon vote on legislation that would give Congress a say over a nuclear agreement. Congress
Russia and Egypt's 'new partnership' Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's new relationship could shift the dynamics of the Middle East. Egypt
Rouhani challenges Iran deal detractors Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that "only the Zionists" are opposed to a nuclear deal, and those not supporting the negotiators are guilty of "betrayal." Iran
Syrian Turkmens are forgotten ally in war against Islamic State Syrian Turkmens say they can play key role in fighting IS in northern Syria. Syria
Egyptian army struggles to address terrorism in Sinai Despite the Egyptian army's claims to victory over terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula, terrorist attacks have increased, a trend many attribute to the failure of the army's strategy. Egypt
Why did Velayati meet with Putin? Despite points of disagreement on specific issues, Iran and Russia seem to be working diligently to develop a deep and strategic friendship. Russia
Delay of French-Saudi military aid to Lebanon a mystery US military aid has filled a crucial gap in Lebanon as a Saudi-French aid package has been delayed for unknown reasons. Saudi Arabia
Peretz: Netanyahu speech won't stop agreement with Iran In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Defense Minister Amir Peretz argues that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming speech to the US Congress will not stop an agreement with Iran because it will turn it into an internal political dispute. Israel
Controversy continues over Nile, Congo river projects The recent decision of Egypt to suspend the works of a private company tasked with the project of linking the Congo River to the Nile stirred much controversy, considering the water quota this project would have provided to Egyptians. Egypt
Why Salafists see Shiites as their greatest enemy Many Salafists see Shiites, not Jews and Israel, as the greatest threat to Islam. Pan Arab
