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
Bibi's UN speech misses again At the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accomplished what he is best at: delivering speeches and identifying threats, without identifying opportunities or making any historic decisions — again. Palestine
How Saudi Arabia is distancing itself from Islamic State While Saudi Arabia has confronted the Islamic State, the country has denied there is any connection between its state religion and the jihadist group. Gulf
Moscow backs fight against IS … to an extent Russia is expressing cautious solidarity with the United States in fighting the Islamic State, while continuing its unequivocal support of the Syrian government. Iraq
How much of US Middle East policy does Moscow understand? Poor understanding of US and Russian policies has caused commentators to overlook that some of Moscow's and Washington's disagreements over the Middle East are strategic and tactical, but their ends the same. Iraq
Is Syrian army US' best option against IS? Too many uncertainties about "moderate" Syrian rebels make them the least effective option for confronting the Islamic State, leaving the Syrian regime the only realistic alternative. Iraq
Political rifts threaten Iraq's anti-IS coalition While a coalition of the willing is being formed to tackle the Islamic State (IS), international and local political divisions still threaten to tear it apart, leaving IS the only winner. Iraq
Deputy: Qatar's expulsion of Brotherhood won't impact Hamas In an interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas deputy leader Mousa Abu Marzouk said the provisions of the cease-fire deal with Israel were the most Hamas could achieve from the war, but he also indicated that it expects to obtain more of its demands in upcoming negotiations. Palestine
Is Turkey the weakest link in anti-IS coalition? Held back by political weaknesses and ideological constraints, Ankara is likely to be the weakest and most reluctant member of the planned coalition against the Islamic State. Iraq
Europe blind to Islamic State's true threat With the Islamic State drawing recruits from across Europe, the continent must act against the movement in Syria and Iraq before it's too late. Near East
Tangled web of alliances emerges as Middle East divides into blocs The Middle East is divided into three blocs, but all have a common enemy in the Islamic State. Regional
Ferguson could lead to more US weapons for Middle East Congress wants to clamp down on leftover military equipment going to local police departments, but what will happen to all that surplus gear? Iraq
Lebanon's main prison a hotbed for terrorists Roumieh Prison holds a variety of detainees, including terrorists and radical Islamists who pose a challenge to security in the lockup and in the country. Lebanon