A thaw in Turkey’s relations with Egypt? Gulf Cooperation Council reconciliation may have set in motion Ankara’s desire for a reset with Cairo. Egypt
Biden's deputy secretary of state nominee OK'd by Senate committee The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved moving Wendy Sherman's nomination to the full Senate, with some Democrats and Republicans who had disagreed with her on the Iran deal voting to confirm her anyway. United States
Biden's CIA nominee stresses China over Iran during Senate hearing Ambassador William Burns said that China is the biggest challenge for the United States, but that Iran and Russia cannot be overlooked. Regional
Post-COVID Mideast economies look to the Gulf and Egypt The region took a hard hit from the pandemic, and it’s far from over, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia are managing better than expected. Regional
Will the crisis in Gaza finally force Israel to lift its siege? Qatar and the UAE have donated money to ease the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but such assistance will likely only postpone an implosion in the absence of arriving at a solution to the enclave's isolation and lifting of the Israeli blockade. United Arab Emirates
Tillerson deviates from Trump's position on Palestinian refugee agency US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson supports developing a sustainable funding mechanism for UNRWA, but it is unclear whether he can convince anyone else in the Trump administration of such an approach. Palestine
GCC's silence on Turkey’s Afrin adventure is telling The Sunni Gulf states have failed to make a unified statement on Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in Syria, a sign of their competing interests. Gulf
Islamic State desert bases still headache for Iraq As Iraqi forces continue cleansing the western desert to keep the Syrian-Iraqi border region calm, Islamic State counterattacks in Syria are posing a new risk across the border. Iraq
Iranian painter's mouthless women speak volumes at Istanbul exhibition Maryam Salahi, an Iranian artist living in Turkey, taps into her "foreignness" for an exhibition in Istanbul exploring identity and freedom in the Middle East. Turkey
Turkey plays catch-up with militarization in Red Sea A scramble for military influence along the Red Sea could lead to a trade disaster as Turkey also looks to establish a military foothold in the area. United Arab Emirates
Saudi-Egyptian broadcast deal raises issue of censorship In line with the reform campaign launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi TV has signed a contract to broadcast two Egyptian-produced series. Saudi Arabia
Sufi sites in Libya under attack Sufis and other religious minorities in Libya are under constant threat of attack by extremist Salafists. Libya
Turkish government mum about abducted intelligence personnel Several senior Turkish intelligence officials have been in PKK hands for more than three months, but the government is refusing to share what it knows about them with the parliament. Iraq
Iran's envoy in Jordan: Support for Hezbollah maintains Arab security In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Ambassador to Jordan Mojtaba Ferdosipour discusses regional developments, including accusations against Iran of supporting terrorism in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia
Washington’s attempt to impose Mideast peace will backfire US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and other recent measures suggest that he thinks he can bludgeon Palestinians into accepting an unjust peace deal. Palestine
Turkish defense industry targeting South Asian markets Domestic demand for Turkey's defense products is reaching the saturation point, and Ankara has its eye on South Asia as the most lucrative potential market. Turkey