Since 2012, the Week in Review keeps you ahead of the curve with in-depth analysis of the trends in the region, based on AL-MONITOR’s world class reporting.
Iran draws line in the sand in Syrian desert
Iran stakes claim in eastern Syria; Saudi move against Hamas; Qatar risks confrontation in the Gaza Strip.
Iran seizes high ground in Saudi-Qatar dispute
Iran probably can’t believe its luck; is it time for a second look at the Aleppo “narrative”?
Mixed messages since US-Saudi-Islamic summit prove costly
Is the United States missing an opportunity with Iran in the war against the Islamic State? Turkey, Hamas deal with fallout from Qatar dispute; Al-Monitor had the jump on “secret” US-Russia talks on Syria.
Saudi bloc splinters over hard line on Iran
Riyadh summit may have fueled sectarian animosities; Hamas resets its ties with Iran and Russia.
Iran follows Russia’s lead in backing Syria safe zones
Russia’s proposal legitimates Iranian military role in Syria; supreme leader hails victory for "Islamic democracy"; Turkish intervention in Sinjar could disrupt Mosul liberation plans; Egypt’s media crackdown.
Is Trump holding a Russian card in the Middle East?
Trump visit launches new US-Saudi partnership, but the endgame in the Middle East still depends on Moscow and Tehran.
Setting low bar for Trump-Erdogan meeting
With US-Turkey relations in crisis, the meeting of the US and Turkish presidents will be about appearances over substance; Saudis will press Trump on Iran; storm clouds over Sinjar; Hamas clamps down on journalists.
Putin changes conversation on Syria with cease-fire plan
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the de-escalation zones are linked to US safe zone discussions.
Erdogan tests Trump with attack on Syrian Kurds
US-Turkey relations sink further following airstrikes; Russia’s expanding military presence in Syria.
Does Erdogan expect Trump to ditch Syrian Kurds?
US and Turkish presidents talk, agree to meeting in Washington; Saudi-Iraqi ties hit Iranian ceiling; Turkey sees al-Bab as safe haven for displaced Syrians.
Iran-linked militias seek to draw Iraq into regional war
“Iran’s logic is the logic of war,” a Gulf regional official tells Al-Monitor.
Zaidi’s test in Tehran
Less than 24 hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi returned from Tehran on Thursday, Iraqi Kurdistan again came under attack.
Five explosive drones were intercepted over Erbil by US-led coalition air defenses, triggering explosions and smoke near the airport that hosts coalition forces and sits adjacent to the US consulate. While Iraq’s Kurdistan region is no stranger to attacks by Iran and its proxies, the timing was hard to ignore. For Tehran, despite the arrival of a new Iraqi prime minister promising a different path, it appears to be business as usual.
US banking on Iraqi turnaround with nomination of Zaidi as new PM
Trump signals hope for a "tremendous new chapter” in US-Iraq ties with the nomination of Ali Al-Zaidi as prime minister.
Iraq's Sudani: US troop withdrawal does not mean end of security relationship
At an event hosted by Al-Monitor and the US Chamber of Commerce, the prime minister discussed Iraq’s plan to achieve energy independence by 2030 and his desire to drawdown the US military presence in the country.
