As the rivalry between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi sharpens in Yemen and beyond, Turkey has begun edging closer to Saudi Arabia. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has openly acknowledged Saudi concerns, saying in a televised interview, on January 8, that “developments in the region — especially recent ones — pose …

The Syrian pound has strengthened against foreign currencies since the morning of Sunday, 18 January, coinciding with the Syrian army regaining control of the most important oil and gas fields in eastern Syria. The exchange rate reached 11,000 Syrian pounds to the US dollar, according to the “Lira Today” website, …

Protesters who took to the streets in Iran say the media is wrongly portraying monarchists as leading the uprising. A week after Iranian security forces violently crushed the latest anti-regime protests, the streets are quiet for now, but a battle over who speaks for the uprising has erupted. With Iran …