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
Iran's path to becoming an LNG exporter Iran is taking steps to export liquefied natural gas after having previous ambitions to do so scuttled by sanctions. Regional
Middle East developments rattle sidelined Ankara Some argue that Ankara has to return to its former position of active neutrality if it is to regain lost influence in the region and contribute to stability. Saudi Arabia
Putin, Khamenei agree they need each other Iran and Russia deepen energy cooperation; Iran has Hezbollah’s back; does the CIA have a back channel to Assad? Iraq
Russian summit on Syria raises controversy, doubt The Syrian opposition suspects Russia’s upcoming congress is a ploy to bolster the regime and dilute the United Nations’ influence. Syria
Russia keeps eye on Kurdish oil contracts, referendum Russia has been boosting its presence in Middle East oil via the Kurdish Regional Government, but is also waiting to see what the potential impacts might be of the KRG’s independence referendum. Iraq
Kirkuk teetering on brink of war The planned Kurdish referendum has divided the main ruling Kurdish party in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, raising tension in the city and threatening to undermine the delicate and fragile cohesion that exists in the multi-ethnic city. Iraq
Rouhani on Trump UN speech: 'Ignorant, absurd and hateful' Iranians reacted harshly to US President Donald Trump’s speech at the United Nations against Tehran and the JCPOA. United States
Events in the Middle East force realism on Erdogan After his Islamist-driven expectations fell by the wayside, Erdogan finds he has to cooperate with leaders he would rather not have talked to. Turkey
International artists explore fragmented Middle East in Istanbul The 2017 Istanbul Biennial asks what makes a good neighbor in a world plagued by war, repression and division. Iraq
Russia sees Saudi Arabia as 'gatekeeper' to Mideast Russian officials say Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud is coming to Moscow for a visit, but the kingdom has been playing coy, perhaps as a bargaining tactic. Saudi Arabia
Congress rejects growing effort to replace 2001 war authorization The US Senate today took up the post-9/11 military mandate for the first time since its enactment 16 years ago. United States
Oil swaps bring Iran, Caspian neighbors together Iran’s newfound focus on oil swaps with its northern neighbors could provide strong mutual benefits at an opportune point in time. Regional