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
Yemen's Saleh proves to be a survivor Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been central to the Houthis' success in Yemen and may determine the country's future. Saudi Arabia
Congress concerned over Turkey's drift from democracy Lawmakers have asked the State Department to beef up its support for civil society in Turkey to encourage democratic governance. Turkey
Riyadh's war on Yemen stokes Saudi nationalism Saudi Arabia's war on Houthis in Yemen is key to rallying the domestic Saudi populace after the regime's repeated failures to obtain a victory over Iran. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia gets bipartisan backing for Yemen airstrikes Lawmakers are lining up behind the US ally despite fears of another sectarian proxy war. Saudi Arabia
Bahrain asks Congress for help in restoring arms sales Manama's embassy in Washington is circulating a letter calling for a united front against IS, Iran; Bahrain is courting Congress in its effort to get the Obama administration to unblock weapons sales that were suspended after its 2011 crackdown on Shiite-led protesters. Legacy: Gulf
Algeria buys Russian arms but keeps Moscow at arm's length Despite a long-standing relationship whereby Algeria buys Russian weaponry, the two nations seem to have trouble seeing eye to eye. Algeria
Will Congress arm Iraqi Kurds? The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs panel is lining up support for his bid to bypass Baghdad. Iraq
Russia keeps close watch on Yemen Russia is not likely to get too involved in the Yemen crisis, preferring instead to monitor developments from afar and choose its allies carefully. Yemen
Saudi anguish over Iranian gains The withdrawal of the remaining US military personnel from Yemen only adds to Riyadh's desperation, with Riyadh worried that Washington's priority is a nuclear deal with Tehran, not stopping Iranian subversion in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia
The new Saudi king, Egypt and the MB Saudi Arabia might be witnessing a slow shift in the region, especially since the new King Salman seems friendlier to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood than his predecessor. Saudi Arabia
Iran's past nuclear activities come under scrutiny A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of March 23. Congress
Iranian VP works for change from within In an interview with Al-Monitor, Shahindokht Molaverdi, vice president for Women and Family Affairs, talks about her role advocating for women's rights and the importance of working from within the administration for change. Iran
