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
Maduro gives Erdogan a new lifeline President Erdogan's vocal support for Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro is being echoed in the Turkish media, with TV channels broadcasting programs on past CIA coups. Turkey
US 'coup' in Venezuela equally abhorred by Iran's hard-liners, Reformists Iran's rival Reformist and hard-line political camps, which rarely see eye to eye, are now both expressing solidarity with Venezuela's incumbent president, blaming the United States for the crisis that has gripped the oil-rich South American nation. United States
Top Democrat on foreign affairs shoots down pro-Palestinian trips House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., is unwilling to approve a proposed congressional delegation to the West Bank. Palestine
US intel assessment suggests Trump's Iran policy not working A new US intelligence assessment suggests that the Donald Trump administration’s Iran policy is not achieving its goals and may in fact be counterproductive. Congress
Syrian Kurds tell Washington they may join forces with Assad if US pulls out of Syria A top Syrian Kurdish official said today that US-backed fighters will consider integrating with the Syrian army, a potential frustration to US policy in the country after troops withdraw. Syria
Ankara’s planned operation in northeast Syria remains murky Whether Ankara will stage an operation east of Euphrates depends on diplomatic efforts with Washington and Moscow. Iraq
Netanyahu plays Iran threat at his convenience Guided by election campaign considerations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Russian-American deal for pulling Iranian forces out of Syria. Palestine
Congress’ Middle East panels brace for new partisan era The newest members of the key foreign policy committees disagree on everything from Israel to Saudi Arabia. Legacy: Gulf
Mattis departure risks US policy void as Yemen pact falls apart Day-to-day responsibility for managing the Yemen conflict is being passed on to John Rood, the Pentagon’s No. 3 official. Saudi Arabia
Foreign Minister Netanyahu sidelines own ministry As reflected in his conduct, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees himself as an airborne Foreign Ministry that does all the work and does not need hundreds of professionals working under him. Israel
US-Gulf tensions mount over restrictions on Syria reconstruction Gulf states are seeking to become major economic players in post-war Syria, but US sanctions are causing some states to proceed with caution. United Arab Emirates
Erdogan-Putin summit highlights differences over Syria Ankara gets little out of Moscow regarding its plans for northern Syria. Syria