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
Video game exec encourages independent developers in Mideast Hussam Al-Natour, founder of Rababa Gaming, describes the challenges and potential of the Mideast’s video game industry. Jordan
Pentagon touts Space Command as boon to Middle East role The Donald Trump administration's launch of a Pentagon command to defend US space orbiting satellites could give Middle East commanders a boost in protecting their eyes and ears on the battlefield. Gulf
Jordan's Baha'is struggle for basic civil rights Jordan does not recognize the Baha'i faith as a religion, which has created difficulties for adherents in regard to marriage, inheritance and overall civil rights. Jordan
Hamas, let down by the Gulf states, revisits ties with Syria Hamas’ leaders have been exploring the restoration of ties with Syria in light of Gulf countries' engagement with the United States on a peace deal and therefore their increasing normalization of relations with Israel. Gulf
Special operations forces reflect on lessons of terror fight The Pentagon’s command for elite special operations forces is assessing how repeated deployments to the Middle East during the war on terror have impacted the forces' core values. Iraq
While the world focuses on Iran, a tragedy is ‘unfolding before our eyes’ in Idlib Trump asks Putin to protect Idlib; Putin seeks options to capitalize on impasse in Syria safe zone talks; Russia wins on S-400 sale to Turkey. Syria
Palestinians rally in response to Kuwaiti support Kuwait adopted an unparalleled pro-Palestinian stance by boycotting the US economic workshop in Manama and rejecting the economic plan preceding the introductions of the "deal of the century"; Kuwait's actions were hailed by Palestinians at both the official and popular levels. Bahrain
Netanyahu's fanciful end run around the Palestinians Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants people to believe that normalization with the Arab world is possible through common opposition to Iran rather than resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians. Gulf
Iran seeks relief from US sanctions in Asia In its foreign policy toward Asian and Eurasian states, Iran is extending its outreach beyond traditional allies China and Russia to draw support from a range of countries and reduce the impact of US sanctions. Russia
Egyptian, international artists explore complexity of Middle Eastern identity in Cairo The Cairo Biennale has resumed after an eight-year hiatus, bringing together international and Egyptian artists to take on identity in the Middle East. Egypt
Palestinians expect little from Bahrain summit Many analysts are skeptical about the economic plan for the West Bank and Gaza that the US administration has prepared for this week's workshop in Bahrain. Bahrain
Arabs deeply divided on Egypt attending US peace meeting Some observers think Egypt's decision to take part in the Bahrain economic workshop could deal a blow to the Palestinian cause. Bahrain