Russia to provide Iran with 90 missile launchers as military ties grow: Reports Multiple recent reports reveal increased Russian support for Iran, including weapons and intelligence sharing. Iran
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 How Lavrov's Tehran visit tests limits of Russia's influence over Iran By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Syrian official slams UN envoy's report According to information a Syrian official shared with Al-Monitor, it doesn’t seem the report on Syria that UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura submitted to the Security Council recently will have long-lasting effects on the ground. Saudi Arabia
New Russian arms deals could shake up Mideast market As Russia considers expanding in the Iranian and Saudi arms markets, the rest of the world is asking what such moves would mean for Moscow’s foreign policy and security role in the region. Saudi Arabia
Is Russia Hamas' bridge to global diplomacy? Hamas is seeking to improve its international relations by reinforcing some ties and mending others following a period of relative isolation. Saudi Arabia
Security Council: Syria 'largest humanitarian crisis in the world' UN, Russia and Iran coordinate new diplomatic effort on Syria; what did Zarif tell Nasrallah?; Egyptian government rejects mediation with Muslim Brotherhood; did US-trained force coordinate with Jabhat al-Nusra? Qatar
Will US sanctions disrupt Iran-Russia economic ties? Washington’s concerns about Russian actions, including its relations with Iran, and Moscow’s diminishing interest in accommodating them seem set to heighten competition and tensions in the Middle East. Russia
Iran to Russia: Where are those missiles you promised us? Following Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s trip to Moscow, Iranian media has been abuzz with talk about the long-awaited delivery of a long-rang S-300 missile defense system, which is still being held up by Russia. Russia
Moscow's revolving door of Arab monarchs, Syrian opposition Russia continues to navigate the complex process of tackling the Syria crisis, slating Damascus as a hopeful ally against the Islamic State. Syria
Zarif presses diplomacy on Syria Iran brokers humanitarian cease-fires in Syria; Yair Lapid discusses “dreadful gamble” in US-Israel relations; Turkey’s Stone Age temple may predate Stonehenge and Egyptian pyramids by thousands of years. Oman
Turkey treads carefully on new gas pipeline with Russia Ankara doesn’t want to put all of its energy eggs into the Russian basket. Turkey
Will Saudi Arabia-Russia talks impact Syrian opposition? Moscow has allegedly opened up channels of communication between the Syrian regime and Saudi Arabia, and many are speculating whether this will cripple the Syrian opposition forces’ capabilities. Saudi Arabia
US wins support from GCC, Asian allies for Iran nuclear deal Israel is outlier on nuclear deal; Rafsanjani tells Al-Monitor that Iran “does not inherently have any issues with Saudi Arabia”; Zarif proposes civil nuclear cooperation with Arab states; Syrian, Iranian and Russian officials meet in Tehran; Al-Monitor’s second annual Middle East lobbying investigation and cultural heritage series. Israel
US, Russia in talks for UN resolution on Syria Secretary of State John Kerry has cautiously heralded US-Russian agreement over a potential UN resolution on Syria's chemical weapons, though the two sides' differences over investigative processes and resultant military action are daunting. Syria
