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 unlikely to take more Syrian refugees While the United States has taken only 1,500 Syrian refugees so far, Americans moved by the drowning death of a Syrian toddler and other scenes of misery among migrants are opening their wallets and contributing more to aid agencies. Iraq
Iranian deputy foreign minister reasserts leadership on Syria, confidence in Hezbollah During a visit to Beirut, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian discussed Lebanese presidential elections and pressing regional issues, including relations between Washington, Riyadh and Moscow concerning Syria and the nuclear agreement. Gulf
New Russian arms deals could shake up Mideast market As Russia considers expanding in the Iranian and Saudi arms markets, the rest of the world is asking what such moves would mean for Moscow’s foreign policy and security role in the region. Saudi Arabia
Israel's natural gas cartel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's adamance in pursuing a deal for exploiting Israel's natural gas, despite it being roundly criticized by regulators, appears to have tentacles to casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and the US-Israel Business Initiative. Israel
Al-Qaeda's emir strikes back After 11 months of silence, Ayman al-Zawahri issues audio messages calling for terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies. Palestine
Kuwait's Sunnis question fellow Shiites' loyalties Kuwait is experiencing heightened Sunni-Shiite tensions, but the country's position in the region may make it difficult to address them should the situation worsen. Gulf
How Iran deal could bring multilateralism to Middle East As the Joint Cooperative Plan of Action comes into effect, the region could see the emergence of a new era of greater cooperation by all regional actors, including Iran. Syria
Iranian negotiators remain confident about nuclear deal At a conference in Tehran on the nuclear agreement with the P5+1, Iran's senior negotiators expressed their satisfaction with the deal and confidence in its implementation. Regional
Veteran US diplomat: After Iran deal, focus on Syria US diplomat James Dobbins shared his thoughts on what is next for the US and Iran, and what the recent agreement means for further collaboration in the region. Iraq
Obama calls for 'practical conversation' between Iran, Arab states US President Barack Obama tells Arab Gulf allies to “stop giving Iran opportunities for mischief”; Zarif says Iran “ready to engage” with Arab countries; Netanyahu weighs political costs of Iran deal. Gulf
Russia views Iran agreement favorably, for now Russia's leaders have greeted the agreement on Iran's nuclear program favorably, although its repercussions down the road might not be welcomed. Russia
25 years later: Did Kuwait invasion doom Iraq? This week marks the 25th anniversary of the start of the 1990 Kuwait crisis, which played a decisive role in altering the region. Saudi Arabia