The US military detained an Iranian in northern Iraq, sparking a new row with Iran which insisted the man held was part of a business delegation.

President Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirmed that France does not want a war with Iran over its nuclear program, but he renewed his allegations against Iran once again.

Central Asia seems to have entered a new period ocooperation. Regional leaders are making official visits to neighboring states at a rate not seen since the early days after the fall of the Soviet Union. What’s driving this new dynamic?