After 12 years, Israel finally inaugurated a new prime minister. While being hailed by many as the opportunity for a fresh start, Naftali Bennett is at best a continuer of Netanyahu’s policies and at worst an ideologue whose positions are to the right of Netanyahu’s. In 2013, as Middle East …

The Lebanese Army Command said on Sunday it has foiled an attempt to smuggle Syrians by sea from northern Lebanon. “A navy patrol unit intercepted a boat that was spotted at a distance of 5.5 nautical miles off the coast of Tripoli, while attempting to smuggle 10 Syrians and one …

Former presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi has called on Reformists to pick a candidate. Mehdi Karroubi, the 2009 presidential candidate who was put under house arrest for challenging the result of those elections, has urged Iranians to vote despite the shortcomings of the election process. According to his son Hossein, Karroubi …

Saudi authorities also said the kingdom’s air defenses intercepted an explosive-rigged drone targeting the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait. The Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport on Monday that the Saudi-led military coalition battling the Iran-aligned rebels has not confirmed. “The Air Force …

Extensive logging led by Turkey in Iraqi Kurdistan has set off an outcry, fueling the already strong anger toward the Turkish military presence in northern Iraq. Turkey’s cross-border military operations against the outlawed Kurdish militants based in northern Iraq are under fire for their environmental damage, a fresh addition to …

Scrambling for a thaw with Washington, Ankara hopes to draw on the success of its military drones — battle-proven against Russian weaponry — to cast itself as a key partner in US efforts to contain Russia in eastern Europe and beyond. Having lost much leverage in its fraught ties with …

Al-Azhar weighs in on Egypt’s dispute with Ethiopia over the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. On June 4, Egypt’s Al-Azhar stepped into the controversy of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. During a speech, to mark the United Nations’ celebration of the World Environment Day, Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb said that …

Egypt is seeking to expand its participation in the reconstruction of Iraq amid a growing alliance between Baghdad, Amman and Cairo. An Egyptian state company announced May 28 the restoration of four bridges in the Iraqi city of Mosul. The rehabilitation of the bridges was put up for international bidding, …

Even if the two sides eventually normalize ties, Damascus faces an uphill struggle to return to the Arab League. On May 26, Syrian Tourism Minister Mohammed Rami Martini became the first Syrian government official to visit Saudi Arabia since the civil war began in 2011. Martini’s trip fueled speculation about …