Egyptian President Al-Sisi steps up repression to cover policy failure
James M. Dorsey | Egyptian general-turned-president Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi would likely be the first to admit that an iron fist is no guarantee for retaining...
Saudi Arabia’s Lebanon gamble may pay off
James M. Dorsey | Time will tell, but Saudi Arabia’s gamble to pressure Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed, Lebanese Shiite militia, by forcing Saad Hariri, the country’s...
Hezbollah has slowly emerged as the winner amid the Gulf Crisis
Reuters When Iran declared victory over Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, it hailed the "strong and pivotal" role played by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement. The praise,...
Gulf rift can benefit South Asian countries
James M Dorsey | The rift between the Gulf countries and Qatar has created a space for Asian countries to step in to engage with...
Saudi Prince pays heavy price for freedom
Reuters | Senior Saudi Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, once seen as a leading contender to the throne, was freed after reaching an "acceptable settlement agreement"...
The Sochi Summit Was A Success, But Plenty Of Serious Challenges Still Remain
Andrew Korybko and Hamsa Haddad | President Rouhani’s visit to Sochi to meet with his Russian and Turkish counterparts is being hailed as a success...
In Washington, Trump’s line on Syria very influential
M K Bhadrakumar | Some of the confusion as to who sets the US policies on Syria may be clearing up. It seems Trump plays...
Is the “flag bearer” of Islam losing its influence over the Muslim world?
James M. Dorsey | By declaring the Qatar-based International Union of Islamic Scholars (ILUM) a terrorist organization, Saudi Arabia is confronting some of the world’s...
Blast at Egypt mosque kills more than 230 people
Reuters | Militants killed more than 230 people at a mosque in North Sinai on Friday, detonating a bomb and gunning down fleeing worshippers in...
Saudi Crown Prince calls Iranian leader “Hitler” of Middle East
News Analysis | At a time when the Middle East is in the middle of a severe rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Saudi Arabia's...
Egyptian singer detained for ‘vulgar’ video
News Desk | Shaima Ahmed, an Egyptian pop-singer to be detained for a week over her racy video. The Egyptian prosecutors have charged the singer...
Rouhani declares the end of ISIS. What next now for Iran?
News Analysis | Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday announced the end of the Islamic State (ISIS), a brutal militant organization that proliferated in Iraq...