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
Syria has high hopes for ties with Crimea — maybe too high? Damascus expects to take part in Crimea’s Yalta International Economic Forum next year, aiming to boost trade and economic relations. Syria
Putin, Erdogan boost Russia-Turkey ties with TurkStream Putin, Erdogan are all smiles in Istanbul marking the end of construction of the offshore section of the TurkStream. The megaproject seeks to boost the relations and change Eurasia's energy market. Turkey
Is Russia full-on supporting Hamas? The Russian ambassador to Israel refused to label Hamas as a terrorist organization, calling on Israel to deal with the group to reach a political solution. Palestine
Will Israeli defense minister's exit impact Russia-Israel cooperation on Syria? The resignation of Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has triggered discussion in Russian circles about whether the departure of a man deemed a staunch advocate for a "special relationship" with Moscow will affect Benjamin Netanyahu's cooperation with Vladimir Putin on Syria. Israel
Is Putin getting serious on Libya? As Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev led the Russian delegation to the Palermo conference on Libya, Moscow spoke of its economic interests in the country but, most importantly, was sending a strong political message to warring factions. Libya
Putin, Netanyahu struggle to mend ties in Paris Despite the brief meeting on the margins of the Paris Peace Forum, Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu seem to have failed to fully mend bilateral ties damaged over the downed Russian spy plane. Israel
PA, Russia step up economic ties As part of efforts to boost cooperation, the Palestinian Authority and Russia signed understandings on energy, customs and labor exchanges at the third meeting of the Russian-Palestinian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. Palestine
Why Iran did not attend the Europe-Russia-Turkey summit on Syria While some have questioned Iran’s absence at the recent four-way summit on Syria between the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey, the reality is that Iran likely saw only negative outcomes stemming from its participation in the meeting at this time. Turkey
Russia sends its own signals on Libya by hosting Hifter Russia's military embraces Khalifa Hifter ahead of intra-Libyan talks in Palermo that kick off today, but does it signal a shift in Moscow's attitude toward the Libyan crisis? United Arab Emirates
Putin pivots to Europe for next play on Syria Russian president intensifies diplomatic push; Erdogan goes "big" to leverage the Khashoggi murder with the Trump administration; Oman emerges as Israeli-Palestinian broker. Oman
Israel pins hopes on American sanctions against Iran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman pin their hopes on the American sanctions against Iran to destabilize the Tehran regime and force it to renegotiate the nuclear agreement. Israel
