The Biden administration on August 9 denied reports that the United States and Saudi Arabia had agreed to a framework that would see the Arab kingdom normalize relations with Israel. National Security...
The Palestinian Authority is trying to reassert control over Palestinian cities in Judea and Samaria.
While a few statements and photo ops here and there might suggest that Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) is in the process of replacing Saudi Arabia’s traditional partner,...
Arab leaders have welcomed Syria back into the diplomatic fold, but the U.S. Congress remains committed to holding the regime of Bashar al Assad accountable for a decade of atrocities. In...
Iranian forces seized a Panamanian-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on May 3, just six days after taking another vessel sailing toward the United States. The empty tanker Niovi...
Iraq needs water. Israel has mastered desalination and other water-saving methods. Cooperation in this regard could achieve great things.
The United States and United Kingdom imposed sanctions Wednesday on three Turkish targets as part of the West’s continued effort to “cut off more of the international assets and finance channels still...
Saudi Arabia, which will host the annual Arab League summit next month, plans to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to attend the gathering in Riyadh. The pending invitation marks a major reversal in Saudi policy and a milestone for Assad as he seeks diplomatic rehabilitation despite his ongoing atrocities. According to Reuters, which first reported the news, Prince Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, will travel to Damascus in the coming weeks to personally deliver the invitation.
Saudi Arabia’s appointment of a new information (media) minister hinted that the kingdom was getting closer to bilateral peace with Israel.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense thwarted an attempt to smuggle thousands of captagon tablets into the Gaza Strip last week. The news was overshadowed by soaring tensions, amidst continued unrest in the...
Tehran arms jihadis, terrorists, and neo-imperialists
The U.S. government will warn Turkey that it risks losing access to key markets if it does not implement U.S. sanctions, especially those that target Russian and Iranian entities. The warning reflects Washington’s...
Why a Jew’s visit to the holiest Jewish site provokes outrage
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made an unannounced visit on Tuesday to the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, drawing protests from the Palestinians, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Jews maintain a 3,000-year-old connection to the Temple Mount, where the two ancient Jewish temples once stood, and toward which Jews around the world face during prayer. The site is also sacred to Muslims, who call it the Noble Sanctuary, and houses the Al Aqsa Mosque, an icon of Palestinian nationalism. Ben-Gvir’s visit did not alter the mount’s status quo arrangement, which permits Israelis to visit but not pray at the site, and simply affirmed that Jews have the right to visit it.
Jordan and the Abraham Accords
Iran’s airlift does not rely on a massive fleet. The Biden administration’s sanctions arsenal can make a difference.
Biden’s mission to the Middle East goes south
The system for prosecuting war crimes is broken—but focusing on sanctions could work.
Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed has cozied up to Bashar al-Assad, and relations with the U.S. are at an all-time low.