Middle East

Israel will reportedly normalize diplomatic ties with the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain as the two countries draw closer over their shared hostility to Iran, with an announcement even possible in the coming months. While there have been a number of recent signs that Bahrain is dropping its traditional hostility to the Jewish state, such as […]

IRBIL, Iraq — For the jubilant, flag-waiving throngs who filled rallies across Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish enclave in recent weeks, a vote on independence Monday is a chance to realize a dream cherished for generations. But every major player in the region opposes the referendum, placing the Kurds on a collision course with neighbors and allies,

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A Saudi cleric who said women should not be allowed to drive because they have a “quarter” of the brainpower of men has been banned from preaching, the government said Friday. Saad al-Hijri was suspended from leading prayers and all other religious activity in the southern province of Asir after he

Vandals ransacked a monastery west of Jerusalem this week, the Latin Patriarchate in the city said in a Friday statement. It said the unknown perpetrators smashed a statue of the Virgin Mary, damaged furniture and broke a number of the stained-glass windows inside the sanctuary of the Beit Jamal Monastery. Get The Times of Israel’s

Israeli warplanes early on Friday morning struck a Hezbollah weapons convoy outside Damascus, Arabic-language media outlets reported. According to reports, the three separate strikes were carried out near the Damascus International Airport, an area known to be a stronghold of the Iranian-backed terrorist group. Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never