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
Kurdish singer aspires to run for Turkish parliament on AKP ticket Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan surrounds himself with celebrities such as legendary Kurdish Arab singer Ibrahim Tatlises as a means of boosting support. Turkey
Netanyahu’s ‘Iran doctrine’ sidelines everything else Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to impose the Iranian threat at the center of the security agenda, sidelining other significant issues and even determining the rhetoric of his rivals. Israel
Trump, Netanyahu coordination goes beyond Iran deal Having coordinated the US repudiation of the Iranian nuclear deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump has also offered Netanyahu "full and total" US military and diplomatic support in case of a regional war. Israel
Divided Republicans struggle to formulate post-Iran deal policy While some GOP leaders cautioned President Donald Trump against withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, others praised the move and pushed for new sanctions — and even a war authorization. Congress
Pentagon braces for Iranian response to Trump withdrawal from deal The US president’s decision to reimpose sanctions is sparking concerns that Tehran could retaliate against US assets and allies. United States
The P5 minus 1: Trump exits Iran deal Iran and other world powers say they will try to preserve the deal without the United States. United States
Turkish court keeps US pastor behind bars Turkey’s decision to postpone US pastor Andrew Brunson’s hearing until July may be driven by electoral calculations and attempts at so-called hostage diplomacy. Turkey
Some Iranians say nuclear deal can survive if Europe cooperates Some Iranian officials and analysts say that Tehran should remain in the nuclear deal with the European Union if Europe stands up to US pressure to end the agreement. United States
Erdogan's Bosnia rally message to Europe ahead of snap polls Having thousands of Turks from the Balkans and Europe converge on the Bosnian capital for an election rally could be a risky move for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Israel's finance minister stands firm against bill limiting judiciary Not caving in to pressure by other coalition partners, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon announced that he will fight the Override Clause, which would allow the Knesset to re-enact laws previously struck down by the Supreme Court. Israel
Hamas accuses PA intelligence of bombing PM's convoy Gaza's Interior Ministry claimed senior intelligence figures from Ramallah were behind the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, yet the timing of the announcement has raised questions. Palestine
What's behind Hamas' offer of cease-fire to Israel? Paradoxically, Israel has become Hamas’ only option to save the movement and the Gaza Strip from total collapse. Palestine
