Turkey’s Fidan heads to Moscow as S-400 sanctions issue returns to fore The visit comes weeks before Turkey hosts NATO leaders, on the sidelines of which Ankara hopes to reach a deal with Washington over CAATSA sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400s. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ Fresh US strikes and Iranian retaliation deepen regional tensions, while Washington tightens sanctions, France pushes for a larger role in Lebanon, and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Russia in talks on 'reformatting' its military sites in Syria: What to know Moscow signals it wants to maintain its presence in Syria, where President Ahmed al-Sharaa recently said that Russian bases will be converted into training centers. Syria
Interview Armenia candidate Tatoyan eyes Pashinyan's pro-West mantle in sea of Russia-backed rivals In an interview from Yerevan, Armenian opposition candidate Arman Tatoyan denies pro-Russian ties and says he would deepen cooperation with the European Union and the United States while pursuing a gradual approach to relations with Moscow. Arman Tatoyan Founder, Wings of Unity Party
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Oil eases as Trump pauses Iran strikes By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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
Turkey needs to drop its dead-end foreign policy Former diplomats say Ankara should act urgently with its NATO allies to face the new threats that have emerged to its security from groups like the Islamic State. Syria
How US, Russia could solve Syria The successful cooperation between the United State and Russia throughout the Iran nuclear negotiations could bode well for a new plan for Syria. Syria
Kerry begins Iran deal sales push on Capitol Hill A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of July 20. Israel
Russia looks for new regional footing post-Iran deal Beyond diplomatic niceties, real challenges and opportunities await Moscow, as the Iran deal is not the culmination but rather the beginning of some serious and complicated work. Russia
Russia views Iran agreement favorably, for now Russia's leaders have greeted the agreement on Iran's nuclear program favorably, although its repercussions down the road might not be welcomed. Russia
Iran nuclear deal with West could help it pivot East A nuclear deal could bring about the membership of Iran in the Russia and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Egypt
