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
US, UK join Lebanon's strange military bedfellows The Lebanese army has been under-equipped for decades, so it must now coordinate with Hezbollah and the Syrian army in its offensive against Islamic militants on the border and with assistance from the United States and the United Kingdom. Lebanon
Jordanian king’s Ramallah visit more than morale booster Jordanian King Abdullah's two-hour visit to Ramallah was meant to send a number of signals to multiple parties. Palestine
Jordan sees big gains in south Syria cease-fire The cease-fire brokered by the United States, Russia and Jordan for southern Syria seems to be holding, for now. Jordan
Stakes high for Kuwait as mediator in Qatar crisis Kuwait has established its neutrality in the Qatari crisis, but it has a lot at stake. Gulf
Hamas hedging its bets in region Hamas appears to have adopted a new regional policy of avoiding taking sides and nurturing good relations with anyone willing to accept the group. Qatar
Recapture of Iraq-Syria border point heralds new regional reality The move by the Iraqi and Syrian governments to link the forces under their command along their border is a new reality on the ground. Iraq
IDF prepares for future of war in region After conducting military exercises in Cyprus, the Israel Defense Forces are trying to anticipate all possibilities of warfare on Israel's borders, including a ground confrontation in Lebanon with Hezbollah. Israel
New 'rules of the game' for Israeli-Hamas standoff The expulsion from Qatar of Hamas leaders and the movement's reconciliation with Iran has potentially changed the "rules of the game" between Israel and Hamas. Qatar
Bahrainis' shrinking political space The Bahraini government is sending a message about loyalty to its population by removing the organizations representing its Shiite and secular opposition from the political arena. Gulf
Questions about Zarif as Rouhani’s second term agenda emerges Major questions remain about Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s foreign policy approach for the next four years. United States
Trump budget slashes Middle East aid The State Department is seeking deep cuts to military and economic assistance for Arab states. Bahrain
Erdogan’s foreign policy leaves Turkey in the doldrums Turkey gives the impression of a beleaguered country that is losing ground on all fronts. Turkey