The government of Nouri al-Maliki faces a number of challenges in the coming year, including strong opposition from Sunnis, Kurds, and fellow Shiites, says CFR’s Meghan O’Sullivan.

The latest round of UN and U.S. sanctions on Iran are unlikely to push Iran to negotiations, says sanctions expert Meghan O’Sullivan, which means the U.S. and its allies will need to look at options …

The close, completed counts in Iraq’s elections mean that it will take months of coalition-building, and Sunni-Shiite political tensions, before it’s clear who will head the new government, says CFR …

David Makovsky, an expert on Middle East diplomacy, says Israel’s Prime Minister reacted positively to the recent Riyadh Arab League declaration and is interested in negotiating with Saudi Arabia.

Mistrust, complex domestic politics, and a lack of urgency by Israeli and Palestinian leaders continue to bedevil peace talks brokered by the Obama administration, says former U.S. negotiator Aaron D…