All Middle East
Fight for Mosul: Undaunted by close calls, Iraqi soldier returns (again) to battle ISISMohamed Selman Methboub, who was badly injured in a 2014 ISIS ambush, is part of the force pushing to liberate Mosul. The Army has been rebuilt from three years ago, when much of it disintegrated before an ISIS offensive.
As US pressures Iran, parallel tensions grow between Israel and HezbollahA decade of relative calm along the Israel-Lebanon border is being rattled as both Israel and Hezbollah threaten each other. The threats were provoked by the Trump administration signaling an intent to roll back the growing influence of Iran, Hezbollah’s sponsor.
With ISIS besieged in western Mosul, civilians decide it's time to fleeRecent refugees from Mosul describe how the increased Iraqi pressure on ISIS in the western half of the city, the jihadists' last urban stronghold in the country, translates into increased pressure on civilians.
First LookWith explosion in upscale mall, terror attacks continue in PakistanPakistan has deployed paramilitary forces in a politically fractious bid to crush Islamist groups that have claimed responsibility for a wave of recent attacks on civilian targets.
FocusIn Turkey, Erdoğan fans an Islamic nationalism to build Ottoman-style influenceFifteen years into his rule, Erdoğan has gradually turned his country away from the secular tradition of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He has also moved away from democratic norms, complicating ties with the West.
First LookTurkey lifts ban on headscarves in the militaryTurkey will now allow its female soldiers to wear a headscarf with their uniforms, marking a shift in the secular military.
End of the two-state solution? What Israel, Palestinians would be giving up.President Trump said he was not insisting on a two-state solution for Middle East peace. Palestinians and Israelis view the one-state option very differently.
For this Palestinian educator, the Global Teacher Prize was just the startHanan al-Hroub, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp, has leveraged her award to improve education at home and abroad.
Cover StoryIsrael's right-wing revolutionariesAs Prime Minister Netanyahu prepares to meet President Trump in Washington, he is being pulled to the right by the settler movement. What it means for Israel, a Palestinian state, and US-Israeli relations.
How Netanyahu may benefit from Trump's shift to traditional US stance on MideastThe Israeli prime minister meets President Trump in Washington Wednesday. The Trump administration had early indicated it might relax US constraints on Israel, but has since changed its tone.
In reaction to soldier's guilty verdict, a hardened IsraelA military court found that an Israeli soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian assailant had violated army rules of engagement, pitting a revered institution against tougher public attitudes toward the conflict and the rule of law.
On Iran's revolution day, a message sent with bigger crowds, fewer anti-US tauntsIn protest message to President Trump, hundreds of thousands of Iranians marched in a show of national unity that crossed social and political lines.
The new ISIS threat: its soldiers are going homeJordan and Tunisia have seen thousands of residents join ISIS. Now those fighters are returning, and the countries provide a portrait of the challenges ahead.
First LookOne year after nuclear deal, Iranian museum welcomes collection home from abroadThe National Museum of Iran is putting over 500 objects on display from Iran's history, all of which were repatriated from four Western countries. The return of the objects is due in part to the spirit of cooperation following the 2015 nuclear deal.
First LookIs Trump's travel ban really a 'blessed ban' for ISIS?Official propaganda Islamic State outlets have said nothing about Trump's travel ban. But indications are that the rank and file, and online supporters, are celebrating it.
First LookWhy did Yemen ask the US to slow down its ground troop activity?A recent raid had tragic consequences, but the government's motives for demanding a final say go deeper.
First LookSyria executions: Did Assad's government carry out a 'policy of extermination'?An Amnesty International report details mass killings at a prison near Damascus, as part of a campaign to crush dissent.
Iran's Khamenei and Trump spar, and sports and academic ties feel blowbackIran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke about Trump’s presidency for the first time, saying Trump had shown the 'true face of America.'
- First LookIsrael retroactively legalizes West Bank settlements. Can they do that?
Israel's prime minister is moving ahead with a controversial law that would legalize dozens of West Bank settlements, despite warnings that the bill itself is illegal.
First LookUS wrestlers' World Cup plans dashed, as Iran announces its own travel banUSA Wrestling will not be attending this month's Freestyle World Cup, after Iran responded to Trump's executive order on immigration with a ban of its own.
