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
Regional powers fighting proxy war in Libya The world’s major powers are doing little to stop rival regional blocs from exacerbating the violence in Libya, despite having several UN Security Council resolutions at their disposal to help them do so. Libya
PLO factions irked by Abbas’ unilateral decisions Although the decision to join the International Criminal Court has been welcomed by all in the PLO, several factions are irritated that President Mahmoud Abbas was not consulting the PLO on such major decisions. Palestine
Political missteps in Libya cause Turkey's economy to stumble Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the AKP government's backing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya is inflicting billions of dollars of economic losses on Turkey and eroding its political influence in Libya and Saharan Africa. Turkey
Turkish, Greek warplanes tangle in mock dogfights over Aegean The Aegean Sea overheated in 2014 because of frequent mock dogfights between Greek and Turkish warplanes, which require serious diplomacy and confidence-building measures to calm down. Turkey
Loopholes, gaps riddle Taif Agreement The agreement that ended the Lebanese civil war still hasn't been implemented and remains as controversial as when it was penned. Lebanon
Syrian patriarch: To help Christians, stop flow of weapons Orthodox leader John X tells Al-Monitor that outside powers must stop interfering if the Middle East is to heal. Syria
Sistani denies supporting Soleiman's involvement in Iraq The office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has denied allegations that he supports the Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani's presence and Iranian involvement in Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
To promote wins against IS, Iran's Soleimani emerges Quds Force Cmdr. Qasem Soleimani has been advising Iraqi Shiite militias with some success in the fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Hezbollah arrives in Iraq As the battle against the Islamic State evolves, experienced members of Hezbollah arrive in Iraq to provide guidance and training. Iraq
Baghdadi vs. Zawahri: battle for global jihad Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri and Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi are engaged in a battle for the hearts and minds of Islamic militants worldwide. North Africa
Russia's Middle East policy after the G-20 summit Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, ever skeptical of US intentions, elaborates on Russia's policies in the Middle East — and risks alienating the West. Palestine
Ethiopian minister upbeat about dam talks with Egypt In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy Alemayehu Tenegu says negotiations with Egypt and Sudan over the Renaissance Dam are improving. Egypt