Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: Israel, Iran duel on Syrian soil

[logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Tuesday, December 5 | Daily Briefing [By: Ben Caspit on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017]( Israel 1 [Israel, Iran duel on Syrian soil]( The growing presence of Iran in Syria, combined with attacks against a missile plant and a base for Iranian forces, indicate that Israel and Iran are practically already at war. 2 [Russia investigation casts shadow over Kushner's Mideast peace push]( In a rare public appearance, the president's senior adviser Jared Kushner discussed the Trump administration's "ultimate deal" for Palestinian and Israeli peace. Iran 3 [The real reason Iranian media is fixated on Zarrab case]( Reza Zarrab’s testimony in a US court is attracting the attention of Iranian media because he has been linked to an Iranian billionaire who siphoned off Iranian oil money in Iran's sanctions evasion scheme. Jordan 4 [Jordan-Israel spat threatens strategic water project]( The ongoing diplomatic crisis between Israel and Jordan after an Israeli Embassy guard in Amman shot dead two Jordanians threatens a strategic water project for the region. Turkey 5 [Ankara pressed to explain $30 billion refugee bill]( Turkey’s opposition is piling up pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government to provide a transparent account of the $30 billion that Ankara says it has been spent on Syrian refugees. 6 [Saleh killed in Yemen following peace overture; UAE denies Houthi missile claim]( Iranian media report, but the UAE denies, that the Houthis fired a missile toward Abu Dhabi over the weekend in response to a Saudi-brokered deal to return former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to power; Saleh is killed Dec. 4. 7 [US weapons pour into Lebanon amid turmoil]( The Pentagon is sending armed helicopters to help Lebanon fend off terrorists despite budgetary and political uncertainty. Israel 8 [Will Trump recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital?]( The Palestinians rushed to send Intelligence Chief Majid Faraj to Washington for fear that President Trump would declare Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital city. 9 [Will Erdogan address Greece's military upgrades during visit?]( A US sale of F-16 fighter upgrade kits to Greece's outdated fleet could increase tensions with Turkey, or it could be offset by the Turkish president's historic visit to Athens this week. Lebanon 10 [Cairo Opera House embraces change with world artists, new music]( Cairo's venerable opera house is working to restore its past glory and lost audiences by expanding its program. Palestine 11 [Secret amendment of Israeli order could cost 300 Palestinians their homes]( Two years ago, Israel quietly amended a 2003 directive banning the construction of unauthorized settler outposts to include Palestinian homes and is now working to enforce it. Iraq 12 [Iraqis fear earthquakes, terrorism could lead to dam catastrophe]( Although the recent earthquakes did not cause serious damage to Iraq’s dams, specialists are calling for continuous maintenance to ensure they are not demolished in the future, leading to a disaster in Iraq. STAY CONNECTED [fb_icon_footer]( [twitter_icon_footer]( [instagram_icon_footer]( [rss_icon_footer]( CONTACT US [Support & Contact]( [Advertise](mailto:advertise@al-monitor.com) NEWSLETTERS [Subscribe]( TERMS OF USE [Visitor Agreement]( [Privacy Policy]( © 2017 Al-Monitor. All Rights Reserved. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe or manage your preferences]( at any time. Al-Monitor · 1850 K St NW · Suite 1225 · Washington, DC 20006 · USA