Interview Armenia candidate Tatoyan eyes Pashinyan's pro-West mantle in sea of Russia-backed rivals In an interview from Yerevan, Armenian opposition candidate Arman Tatoyan denies pro-Russian ties and says he would deepen cooperation with the European Union and the United States while pursuing a gradual approach to relations with Moscow. Arman Tatoyan Founder, Wings of Unity Party
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Oil eases as Trump pauses Iran strikes After days of threats and brinkmanship, Washington and Tehran hint at diplomacy as Trump suspends planned military action. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Trump speaks with Netanyahu, Putin as Iran pressure campaign escalates President Donald Trump spoke by phone separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the situation in Iran and the possibility of extending the ceasefire. United States
Israel rejects Ukraine's claim that Russian shadow fleet vessel docked in Haifa Ukraine alleges the vessel unloaded wheat taken from occupied territories in Haifa, while Israel says ship had not entered the port. Israel
Netanyahu gets little from Putin in Sochi meeting The meeting that took place on Thursday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin produced no change in Moscow’s policy on Iran. Israel
Intel: Why Russia boosts Iran even as Tehran pares nuclear deal commitments Despite their differences on Syria, Russia needs a stronger Iran as its partner. Russia
Putin can’t save Erdogan from Idlib quagmire The Russian president ultimately sees Bashar al-Assad as the solution to Turkey’s border crisis, but is playing a long game. Syria
Is UFC champion Nurmagomedov 'new face' of Russian soft power in Mideast? Khabib Nurmagomedov is the first Russian to hold a UFC champion title, but there's more to it when it comes to the Middle East. Russia
Failure to reign in Idlib jihadists makes trouble for Turkey A year after the Sochi agreement, the situation in Syria’s northwest remains as tense as ever. Syria
US calls on Russia to cease Idlib fight amid terror strikes The Pentagon called for Russia to halt its offensive into Syria’s Idlib province as the United States launched strikes into the contested region aimed at al-Qaeda leaders. Syria
Intel: How Russia and Iran are drawing closer on Gulf, Syria The Russian and Iranian foreign ministers met in Moscow to discuss regional issues and opportunities for cooperation. Russia
Rouhani says he doesn’t want photo-op with Trump — but maybe he should French President Emmanuel Macron, the man in the middle, is appealing to both sides for compromise. Russia
Pentagon may consider Turkey rejoining F-35 if it ditches Russian missile system Defense Secretary Mark Esper said today that the United States would “consider” letting Turkey back into the F-35 program if it got rid of the Russian S-400 system. Turkey
With each Erdogan visit, Ankara grows more indebted to Moscow Russia’s diplomatic, economic and security gains from its ties with Turkey keep growing amid the conflict in Syria, while Ankara becomes increasingly indebted to Moscow. Turkey
Will Putin's 'ice cream diplomacy' with Erdogan help resolve Idlib? In Moscow, ice cream may have been the only thing Erdogan got for free from Putin. Syria
How can Russia, Turkey reach deal on Idlib? In the run-up to the Turkish president's visit to Moscow, few options may be on the table with regard to Syria's Idlib. Syria
