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
Growing esports market has huge potential in Mideast The video gaming industry is gaining ground in the Middle East, as its popularity and prize money continue to grow. Regional
Scorn for US peace plan brings Hamas, Hezbollah closer Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is calling for a Palestinian-Lebanese dialogue to counter the US peace plan, an approach welcomed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Palestine
Iran plays Pakistan, China against India as Modi turns to Trump India’s apparent decision to go along with the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran could negatively impact its relationship with Tehran, including in regard to the Chabahar port project. United States
Pentagon fears China’s growth in Middle East arms market The Donald Trump administration is worried that China is capturing a larger role in a Middle East arms market that the United States has traditionally dominated. United States
Why Jordan is silent on Bahrain summit Jordan has yet to officially announce its position on the US-sponsored Bahrain economic conference that is to kick off the long-awaited US Middle East peace plan. Bahrain
Trump allies push back on Muslim Brotherhood terror designation Even some hawkish lawmakers question the legal validity and political wisdom of a blanket designation. Egypt
Will new Sudanese regime stop arms flow to Gaza? The toppled regime of Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir had turned a blind eye to the smuggling of weapons through Sudan to Gaza, and Hamas is hoping that any successor government will adopt a similar attitude. Palestine
Turkey’s 'morally clean' TV series under fire Amid a big expansion in their foreign audience, Turkish TV series are barred from featuring alcohol, smoking and anything sexual, but are free to show unstinted violence. Turkey
Israel's year of the undecided voter Undecided voters will determine the outcome of the April 9 elections and with that the fate of the Arab Peace Initiative, which the Arab League endorsed yet again at its annual summit but has not registered on the radar of Israeli candidates or the media. Israel
Iran’s seeming restraint on Golan Heights puts Arab rivals in tough spot Iran’s adoption of a low-profile position on Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights appears to be a calculated move to maximize Iran's regional interests. Israel
Border wall fight could jeopardize funding for US bases in the Middle East The fight over funding for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall could impact key US bases in the Middle East. United Arab Emirates
Interview Qatar says divisions within GCC have become ‘lose-lose’ situation for the region Qatari spokesperson says the split among the Gulf states compromises the security of the region and that thousands of families are already paying a price.