2023 in review: China pulls a Middle East coup, but can it sustain expectations? From Saudi Arabia to Egypt, China saw its diplomatic and technology clout significantly grow in the region but still faces limitations in delivering on defense and security arrangements. Gulf
Funeral held for Iran's IRGC commander killed by Israel as Tehran vows revenge Iran said Sayyed Razi Mousavi was killed in an Israeli strike in Syria. The death of the commander, who was mourned in Syria and Iraq, could ignite war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah. Iraq
2023 in review: Iraq's pro-Iran factions make gains, but so do Sunni groups December's provincial elections across Iraq saw big gains for the ruling Coordination Framework and for the Sunni minority and Muhammad al-Halbousi list. Iraq
Explainer: Major shipping giants resume Red Sea routes amid Houthi attacks The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have fired on international ships and Israel’s port in the Red Sea since the Gaza war began, wreaking havoc on the global shipping industry. Gulf
Turkey's Erdogan compares Netanyahu to Hitler, drawing Israel's rebuke The Turkish president’s inflammatory comments drawing a parallel between Hitler to Netanyahu once again have ramped up tensions between Turkey and Israel. Turkey
Turkey speeds up attacks on Kurdish groups in Syria, Iraq The latest escalation occurred after the killing of 12 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq over the past week. Turkey
Who is Sigrid Kaag, veteran diplomat and UN's new aid coordinator for Gaza? Sigrid Kaag has worked extensively with the UN in the Middle East. She is fluent in Arabic and speaks Dutch, German, French, English and Spanish. Palestine
2023 in review: Iran sees opportunity in Gaza war, steps up crackdown at home Iran's theocratic establishment engaged in a flurry of foreign diplomacy to try to ease the international isolation it is facing, while at home it intensified its crackdown on dissent. Iran
