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
Syria contact group urges air drops, expanded cease-fire The International Syria Support Group, meeting in Vienna May 17, appeared to lower emphasis on Syria political talks as it urged shoring up a partial cease-fire and using air drops if needed to get aid to towns subjected to a type of "medieval" siege. Syria
How Turkey plans to boost halal tourism The second international halal tourism conference, held in Konya, gave a boost to Turkey’s determination to improve its performance in the growing Muslim travel market. Turkey
Will 'free financial center' lure foreign banks to Iran? Iranian authorities are weighing whether to launch a free financial center to encourage capital inflow into the economy. Gulf
Rouhani moves to slash IRGC budget, empower army The Rouhani administration has moved to cut spending for the IRGC while increasing funding for the army, but not without a backlash. Regional
Erdogan’s secret economic weapon Turkey’s defense industry sector has emerged as a shining star in a turbulent period of economic jitters and falling exports. Turkey
Trump meets the DC foreign policy establishment Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump rolls out his "America First" foreign policy speech, leaving many unanswered questions about his plans to secure the United States and stabilize the world's trouble spots. Iraq
US aid caught up in Middle East crackdown on civil society An analysis of the State Department budget request shows a drop in support for democracy and human rights. Gulf
Erdogan, Davutoglu shed tears for Gaza, but do little else Turkey as well as the oil-rich Gulf states have still not fulfilled their pledges to help with the reconstruction and development of Gaza. Gulf
Why Egyptians' anger at island handover is misplaced Angry Egyptians decried the return of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia while ignoring possible economic benefits and returns for Egypt as part of the agreement. Saudi Arabia
Were Bibi's Golan comments a 'death blow' to peace? The declaration by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will hold on to the Golan Heights forever threatens any possibility of an agreement with the Palestinians and Arab states. Saudi Arabia
Will Iran and Russia join forces on Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict? The renewed fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region has allowed Iran to present itself as a responsible and peace-seeking actor in its northern neighborhood. Russia
What Russia's withdrawal means for Syria conflict Opinions vary about the repercussions and motives behind Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria. Syria