Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
One year on Sudan’s war: 14,700 killed, 8.6M displaced, 4.9M face starvation As the war in Sudan enters its second year, the humanitarian situation is worsening by the day with no prospects of an imminent end of the hostilities. North Africa Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
EU wants P4+1 model on Israeli settlements The European Union is considering establishing a P4+1 group, without the United States, dealing separately with the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the Iran file. Palestine
Why Israel, Russia remain chums Russia and Israel will continue to enjoy strong relations despite Russia’s UN Security Council vote for Resolution 2334 condemning the Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory. Israel
Why did Oman join Saudi Arabia’s anti-terrorism alliance? Oman joins the 40-member Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, yet still strikes a balance while refusing to distance itself from Iran in order to please Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
What has King Salman achieved in his two-year reign? Saudi Arabia's plan to transform the kingdom by the year 2030 will not be realized until the war on Yemen stops. Saudi Arabia
Should Iran worry about Putin throwing it under the bus? Iranian officials have always had a pessimistic outlook toward Russia, which could serve them well given the apparent possibility of closer US-Russian relations under Donald Trump. Syria
Will Israel really halt civil coordination with Palestinian Authority? In response to UN Resolution 2334, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman issued a decision to halt civil and political coordination with the Palestinian Authority, which the Palestinians perceived as mere media hype. Palestine
Political Islamists brace for Trump era The president-elect and his advisers take a dim view of the Muslim Brotherhood and its cousins, but could shutting them out end up hurting America the most? Egypt
How long can Yemen's Houthi-Saleh alliance last? Houthis and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh claim they have formed a government, but they can't necessarily convince the world, or even each other, in the long run to accept it. Saudi Arabia
Here’s why Russia gives itself high marks for 2016 Russia achieved many of its 2016 goals in the Middle East and paved the way for potentially significant successes in 2017 and beyond. Legacy: Gulf
Bahrain shifts foreign policy with eye on Turkey Bahraini officials want to deepen their ties with Turkey as regional politics become more unstable. Legacy: Gulf
Fatah leader speaks out on Abbas' exclusive congress In an interview with Al-Monitor, Abdel-Hakim Awad, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council who was excluded from the movement's seventh congress, talks about Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' political failures, his exclusionary policies and his collusion with Israel. Palestine
Would Putin accept Turkish buffer zone in Syria? Heavy casualties at al-Bab and the recently released video of IS' burning alive of two Turkish soldiers have not affected Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield. Syria
