Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified an agreement Tuesday to move ahead with the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline to southern Europe, sealing a deal which will see Moscow’s relationship with Turkey grow much tighter. Analysts also speculated that the new pipeline would massively improve the Kremlin’s bargaining power with European countries as well as give incentives for other Middle East and Central Asian countries to draw closer to Russia.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave a speech Tuesday before an assembly of military commanders in which he sneeringly dismissed a recent statement by the White House that it was putting the clerical regime in Teheran “on notice” that its ballistic missile tests and support for regional terrorists groups would no longer be tolerated. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif admitted that the Trump Administration’s stance means “We will have difficult days ahead.”

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avci attended a tourism conference in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, highlighting to continued healing of relations between the two countries even amidst lingering diplomatic tensions. “Tourism is an excellent way of meeting people and strengthening the connection between them,” he said. “Through tourism, the connection between the countries can be improved.”

The Islamist terror militia Hamas released yet another Hebrew-language animated music video on Tuesday night with graphic threats to launch rockets against civilian communities and otherwise wreak mayhem and violence on Israel. The video comes amidst a flare-up of violence on the Gaza border and warnings from analysts that Hamas is preparing for another round of fighting.

Chaim Ferster, who survived detention in 8 different Nazi concentration camps , including Auschwitz and Buchenwald during WWII, died on Monday in Manchester, England at the age of 94. Ferster devoted much of his time over the years to sharing his story and otherwise promoting Holocaust remembrance and education, a legacy his family said they hope to continue.

Iranian conventional military capabilities will continue to increase rapidly as long as Russian and Iranian forces continue to operate alongside each other in Syria simply by learning the best practices for developing, deploying, and using such forces in combat. Russia is poised to teach Iran additional methods of warfare as it prepares for the next phase of the pro-regime campaign in Syria.

Hamas has never for a moment given up its strategy of destroying Israel. Although the military balance of power is in Israel’s favor, Hamas is constantly improving its capabilities and building its military preparedness for the next round.