US mum on Iran prisoner swap dangle

The United States government is saying little about Iran’s recent announcement it is sending a list of names for a possible prisoner swap, but there are signs of possible movement behind the scenes.

United States

Iran not letting Iraq go without a fight

Iraqi protesters have had enough of Iran’s heavy hand, but don’t expect the Iranians to pack up and go home.

Iraq

Amid rising protests, PMU prevents confrontation with US

The Popular Mobilization Units try to distance themselves from the current confrontation between Iran and US in order to preserve PMU interests in Iraq.

Iraq

Trump’s amity with Erdogan deepens Turkey’s isolation

The double blow the US House dealt Turkey over its military campaign in Syria shows how wrong Erdogan is to rely solely on his personal relationship with Trump to manage ties with the United States.

Turkey

Kurdish self-administration under fire

People living to the east of the Euphrates in Syria wonder about the fate of the Kurdish self-administration after the Turkish military attack and the recent Russian, Turkish and US political agreements on the status of this region.

Syria

Kurds in northeast Syria feel abandoned by allies

Russian military police began joint patrols with Turkish forces near the Syrian-Turkish border as part of an agreement under which Kurdish fighters would withdraw from the area.

Syria

Congress sounds alarm on weaponization of Syrian aid

The US Congress is warning that Turkey and Russia could join the Syrian government in blocking humanitarian aid for the war-torn country even as lawmakers seek to redirect it from regime-held territory.

Iraq

Interview

Saudi Arabia still awaiting signs of ‘goodwill’ from Iran

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud talks about the "dramatic effect" of the September attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and says there will be no official Saudi contacts with Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved.

Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud

Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US

Top Netanyahu donors’ West Bank winery seeks Trump’s help fighting EU

The Psagot winery has hired a former US ambassador to the EU to lobby against “settlement” labeling regulations.

Israel

Ankara in quiet negotiations to buy Russian Su-35 fighter jets

Following Ankara's expulsion from the F-35 program, Turkish officials are looking to Moscow to upgrade Turkey's aging warplane fleet with Russian-made Su-35 jets.

Turkey

Pentagon: Islamic State will survive leader’s death

The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will not extinguish the Islamic State’s ideology, US Central Command said, even as the Pentagon keeps up pressure to thin out the group's leadership with raids in Syria.

Syria

As Syria constitution talks kick off, is Kurdish administration 'finished'?

As representatives from Syria's government, opposition and civil society meet in Geneva to draft a new constitution for the war-torn country, Al-Monitor spoke with French academic Fabrice Balanche on prospects for the talks.

Iraq