Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
US Navy plans for smaller fleet amid spending caps despite Middle East crisis Facing budget caps and new procurement delays, the Navy is poised to reduce the overall size of its fleet even as attacks by Iran and its proxies in Yemen have led to unprecedented disruptions of commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Washington Pulse
Exclusive US government employees plan walkout over Biden’s Gaza policies By Joyce Karam , Elizabeth Hagedorn
US officials confirm Iranian hackers stole voter data The security breach is the latest attempt targeting the 2020 US election, US intelligence officials warned, including attempts to hit the campaigns of President Donald Trump and his opponent, Joe Biden. Iran
Intel: US, Sudan sign terror claims agreement The last major step in restoring US-Sudanese relations is legislation pending in Congress that would restore Sudan's sovereign immunity. Israel
Elections weigh on US-Gulf economic relations Investments worth billions of dollars in the US market and currencies pegged to the greenback leave Gulf states heavily exposed to the American economy. Gulf
US sells seized Iranian fuel, seeks forfeiture of missiles The United States has sold and delivered the 1.1 million barrels of Iranian oil seized from four Venezuela-bound vessels in August. United States
Intel: Trump administration notifies Congress of proposed F-35 sale to UAE Lawmakers have introduced legislation intended to ensure the sale does not eclipse Israel's regional military edge. United Arab Emirates
Intel: New bill in Congress would push for Israel to get bunker-busting bombs The bill was announced the same day the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran is building an underground centrifuge facility at Natanz. Israel
Intel: Pentagon undercounting civilian casualties in Yemen, watchdog says At least 86 civilians have been killed in US operations in Yemen since 2017, according to a new report by Airwars, a UK-based nongovernmental organization. Yemen
US judge dismisses lawsuit against state's Israel boycott law The judge said the plaintiff was not affected by Maryland's ban on the government contracting with supporters of boycotts of Israel, but she did not rule on the law's constitutionality. Originals
Democratic senators demand inquiry into alleged Turkish and Azerbaijani human rights abuses Turkey has responded to some of the recent criticisms it has received from Democrats in Washington. The recent call from the Senate focuses Turkish support for Azerbaijan in the war with Armenia. Turkey
Sudan to recognize Israel after US rescinds Khartoum’s terror designation The White House said Sudan would be the latest country to recognize Israel after it leveraged lifting Khartoum's terror sponsor designation United States
Trump, Biden talk reported Iranian election interference at final debate US intelligence said that Iran was responsible for threatening emails sent to voters this week; the policy toward Iran has come up frequently during the election. United States
Senate praises Library of Congress for agreeing to use term 'Armenian genocide' The national library refers to the killings of Armenians in early 20th-century Turkey as "massacres," but agreed to call them "genocide" after being urged to do so by Senate Democrats. Originals
