U.S. Cabinet officials are emphasizing the need for sanctions against Iran, in between assuring policy-makers that the American and global economies are able to absorb the effects of new economic measures against the Islamic republic.  Treasury Secretary Jack Lew spoke at a conference in Aspen, Colo. on the choice between sanctions and…...

Syrian government troops launched a major offensive over the weekend on rebel-held areas within the strategic city of Homs. The attacks are part of a campaign that observers believe is aimed at consolidating the Bashar al-Assad regime’s control in the aftermath of the regime’s Hezbollah-backed success in seizing the strategically critical city of...

A group of top U.S. university presidents are in Israel this week to study Israeli innovation and explore opportunities for bilateral academic exchanges. Among the topics for discussion are the degree to which Israeli has developed two-way channels for the exchange of information between academic institutions and industrial settings. A...

Yousef Rizqa, a key adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, evaluated last week ongoing efforts by U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry to bring the Palestinians back to the negotiating table with Israel. He’s not pleased: Dr. Yousef Rizqa, political adviser to Gaza prime minister, warned against “a new...

Egyptian army officials have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Egypt’s political class to settle the unrest that erupted in the country over the weekend. Sixteen people have died thus far, after supporters and opponents of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-linked President Mohammed Morsi took to the streets in rival demonstrations. Military leaders...

The New York Times today profiled American-Jewish student Andrew Pochter, who was one of three people killed in violent clashes in Alexandria, Egypt on Friday. Pochter had been in the country to teach English and support pro-democracy movements: The American student who was killed in Egypt on Friday during street...

A stranger who happened on the streets of Cairo this week might have thought Egypt was preparing for war. Already on Tuesday, the Egyptian army had been deployed to sensitive areas of the city such as “Production City,” where most Egyptian and international networks are located. Residents stocked up on...

With mass protests looming this weekend, observers are asking whether – despite what seemed months ago to be popular, democratic protests – embattled Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is facing the same political tidelwave in office after one year in office that long time Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak felt after thirty?...

The head of Iran’s atomic energy agency said Friday that Tehran will push ahead with its atomic program and continue enriching uranium in the aftermath of the election of Hassan Rouhani, a revolutionary cleric linked to Iran’s conservative pragmatist camp, as Iran’s next president. Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani told reporters at a...

Iranian state media, displeased with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Asset Control (OFAC), has taken to the airwaves to blast the office. At issue are measures taken by OFAC against Iranian regime media outlets, including specifically Press TV: “Let’s face the facts here, the Office of Asset Control (OFAC) of the US...