Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump threatens to bomb Oman Kushner meets Netanyahu on Gaza plan; Pope calls for end to West Bank violence; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Israel defies Trump on Lebanon as Netanyahu, Katz prioritize elections Both Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump face fateful elections this fall, but one needs progress in Lebanon while the other wants more of the same. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Security A new Middle East security order? The timing of the new Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey defense agreement suggests the US' traditional allies in the region are charting their own strategic path after the Iran war. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Iran’s Hormuz authority denies Trump claims of control over strait: What to know Trump administration officials have said oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are rising, but maritime traffic remains diminished. Iran
Analysis Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan while quietly implementing it By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis As pro-Palestinian candidates gain ground, will AIPAC's influence wane? By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Analysis As US rethinks regional presence, Israel shifts focus to destabilizing Iran By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Erdogan: Turkey to expel Kurds from Manbij if no one else does Erdogan vows that Kurdish militia members will be removed from Manbij, one way or another; Greek prime minister visits Ankara; jailed CHP legislator ends hunger strike, but Kurdish woman continues hers despite being released. Syria
Gadhafi-linked Libyan oil tycoon enters Washington lobbying fray Libyan oil tycoon Hassan Tatanaki has begun lobbying in the US in an effort to get the Donald Trump administration to get behind the push for fresh elections in the war-torn country. Libya
Palestinian students stripped of US scholarships Palestinian students studying abroad on US-sponsored scholarships have found themselves in limbo after the Palestinian Authority declined further US assistance following enactment of the US Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act. Palestine
Trump: Israel’s friend in words, not in deeds US President Donald Trump's isolationist policies in Syria and Afghanistan, coupled with placating gestures toward the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, rather than a push for peace with the Palestinians, are endangering Israel’s security. Israel
Kurdish lobby struggles to slow US pullout from Syria An upstart Syrian Kurdish delegation urging the Donald Trump administration to slow the Pentagon pullout from Syria faces significant hurdles to get its message in front of a wary US administration. Syria
Intel: How McConnell is forcing Democrats to side with Trump on Syria Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., managed to rebuke both President Donald Trump and Democrats with one vote. Syria
Intel: How the latest freshman-establishment spat is laying bare Democrats’ Palestinian problem An escalating feud between freshman Palestinian-American Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Minn., and the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is laying bare Democrats’ gaping divide over Israel. Palestine
Intel: How the Europeans’ new Iran sanctions work-around helps Trump The European Union launched its much-anticipated Iran trade mechanism today to an audible meh from the Donald Trump administration. United States
Intel: Why US plan to have Europeans run Syria safe zone is no sure bet The Donald Trump administration has asked European allies to participate in a safe zone to protect the US-backed Syrian Kurds. Syria
Why Kurds seek talks with Assad regime In an interview with Al-Monitor, Aldar Khalil, a leading figure of the Movement for a Democratic Society, speaks of the general landscape in Syria and voices his opinion about the US withdrawal of forces and potential talks with the Assad regime. Syria