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
Russian intervention throws a wrench into Turkey's Syria plans Russian air superiority in Syria has destroyed Ankara's hopes for a safe zone in the north and "Syria without Assad." Syria
Egypt's secular culture minister ruffles Salafi feathers Comments by new Egyptian Culture Minister Hilmi al-Namnam have sparked criticism from local Salafis as well as Saudi Wahhabis. Saudi Arabia
Should European states transport refugees themselves? Refugees and migrants are paying thousands of dollars to smugglers to reach Europe, so why don't European governments cut into the trade and provide the migrants safe transportation? Iraq
Rouhani's chief of staff: More US-Iran anti-terrorism cooperation possible The Iranian president's chief of staff, Mohammad Nahavandian, tells Al-Monitor that the implementation of the nuclear deal will be a test of the West's sincerity. Regional
Iranian officials call for change in hajj administration After a stampede that killed at least 131 Iranians and with more than 300 still missing, Iranian officials have called for a review to change the administration of hajj pilgrimages for it to be put under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Saudi Arabia
What Israel should do about Iran Israel, if it fully takes into account the Mideast's yawning Sunni-Shiite divide, could benefit from reconsidering its point of view on Iran. Palestine
Khamenei condemns Saudi Arabia for hajj stampede Iranian officials have blamed Saudi management of the hajj for the stampede that left at least 125 Iranians dead. Gulf
How to transfer money without financing terror During the Union of Arab Banks conference, officials discussed ways to monitor money transfers, to limit money laundering operations and the financing of terrorism. Egypt
Are reforms in Arab banking sector key to fighting terrorism? The latest Union of Arab Banks conference discussed ways to integrate all citizens in the banking sector’s database, to be able to fight money laundering and terrorism. Egypt
'Guests of God' pay high price Has the commercialization of the pilgrimage to Mecca overshadowed the Saudi leadership’s goal of serving Muslims? Saudi Arabia
Russia's expanding military presence in Syria Russia is apparently establishing its first air base in the Middle East, at Jableh, Syria, a move that would change the rules of the game in the region. Syria
Struggling to keep up, conflict causes major economic setback in Turkey's poorest region After several years of revival, the struggling economy of Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeastern region faces collapse. Turkey