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
Turkey charts new course in Iraq Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's recent visit to Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala is the latest sign of a new, dual-track policy on Iraq that is endorsed by the United States. Egypt
Internal disagreements could lead to al-Qaeda split Recent disagreements between al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could lead to major splits within the organization. Iraq
Syria's temporary solution As preparations for the Geneva II Syria conference stall, some suggest that a temporary solution could be in the works, aimed at keeping President Bashar al-Assad in office, but without elections. Saudi Arabia
The Al-Monitor Debate on Gulf Cities The Wall Street Journal reports on the Al-Monitor debate on Gulf cities; former Israeli, Palestinian negotiators differ on whether Palestinians should recognize Israel as a Jewish state; hope for Syrian bishops' release; a new Al-Monitor design. Palestine
Saudi-Backed Salafists Returning To Iran’s Border? The sectarian war in Syria comes to the Iran-Pakistan border. Saudi Arabia
Iranian Official Discusses Regional Policies Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hussein Amir Abdollahian discusses Iran’s policies toward Syria, Saudi Arabia, Hamas and Egypt in an interview with Al-Monitor. Regional
Obama, Rouhani Should Talk More Often Progress in nuclear negotiations with Iran will have positive consequences for other regional security issues. Regional
Obama's UN Speech Offers Insight, But Few Answers In his speech to the UN General Assembly, US President Barack Obama described his administration's sometimes contradictory approaches to the Middle East. Regional
Turkey’s 'Precious Isolation' In the Middle East Foreign policy decisions by the Erdogan government, including on Egypt and Syria, have left Turkey without any influence over events in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia
The Middle East’s New Divide: Muslim Versus Muslim The Muslim world is in the throes of a messy period of political modernization, which means the issue of the role of religion in the state is being debated, and fought, in the public square. Egypt
Is There Role for NATO In Israel-Palestine Peace Process? Many “ifs” remain about a NATO role in a final Israeli-Palestinian settlement, if there is one, but the option may be there. Israel
Is the Middle East Rejecting Radicalism? The world should not miss the opportunity for stablility and progress offered by the Middle East's rejection of radicalism. Qatar