Egypt’s Sisi, Putin meet as Russia steps up Africa push: What to know Wednesday’s meeting comes on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit, a two-day gathering in Moscow bringing together African leaders and officials. Egypt
Russian satellite data helped Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia: What to know A report by The Associated Press found evidence that Russian satellites helped Yemen’s Houthis identify and target specific sites, including energy facilities and military bases, in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Putin puts Trump ahead of Iran in bid to mediate war Anton Mardosov, reporting from Moscow, and our correspondent in Tehran assess the limits of Russian influence in Iran; Ben Caspit reports that Netanyahu could force a unity government with an attack on Iran after the elections. By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti
Analysis Putin's Iran diplomacy faces limits as Russia eyes Ukraine concessions As US-Iran tensions escalate, Russia is stepping up mediation efforts, hoping to gain leverage with Washington over Ukraine despite its limited influence on Tehran. By Anton Mardasov
Analysis How Lavrov's Tehran visit tests limits of Russia's influence over Iran By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis Pragmatic politics: Why Turkey avoids blaming Russia for Black Sea attacks By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Why Iran won’t work as a bargaining chip between Russia, US Russia and Iran have enough overlapping interests to keep their relationship strong, even if the United States tries to interfere. Russia
Egypt hopes Chinese visitors can make up for Russian tourism decline Egypt's tourism sector is working to attract the largest possible number of tourists to offset its recent heavy losses, especially in light of the sharp decline in Russian tourism. Egypt
What EU’s Mogherini, Tillerson agreed on European Union leaders are exploring new policies on the Middle East, including the idea of convening a Madrid II conference. Palestine
Will Turkey attack Kurds in Manbij or move on to Raqqa? Now that the Syrian army has blocked the road from al-Bab to Raqqa, Turkey may instead assault Manbij, which won’t be easy. Syria
What is Russia’s role in Syria and the 'post-West' world order? Russia is not wasting time while the new US administration gets its bearings on Syria and the rest of the world. Syria
US should test Russia on Islamic State With the complicated regional dynamics of the Syrian war, the US could benefit from Russian assistance. Syria
Iran pulls Palestine from the margins The Iranian leadership turns out in force for Palestinian conference; Turkey’s victory in al-Bab may be a prelude to a showdown with the Syrian Kurds. Palestine
How serious is Russia's commitment to Libya settlement? Now that recent talks to unite Libya's rival governments have failed, observers are evaluating the extent of Moscow's investment in peaceful reconciliation. Egypt
No breakthrough expected at new Syria talks Expectations were modest for a new round of Syria talks set to get underway in Geneva Feb. 23, with the new US administration still formulating its policies. Syria
Israel defense minister: We must coordinate moves with Trump In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman confirmed that he still supports a two-state solution, but one involving population as well as land swaps and as one part of a regional agreement. Palestine
Why Moscow now sees value in Syrian local councils Russia has come to realize that some opponents of the Syrian regime are actually moderates rather than terrorists and that a move to empower local governments could help resolve the conflict. Syria
Will Turkey get its way in Raqqa? Turkey is trying to balance its precarious relationships with the United States and Russia while still getting what it wants in Syria. Iraq
