The lack of progress in Syrian peace talks doesn’t mean diplomacy can’t work, but the process needs to include regional powers, says expert Mona Yacoubian.

Talks between Iran and the P5+1 ended with plans to meet in Istanbul next month, but the differences between the two sides suggest a long road ahead dotted with meetings that don’t go very far, says …

CFR’s Steven Simon says President Obama has asserted a new counterterrorism approach that balances aggressiveness on some fronts with a milder set of interrogation and detention policies.  

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.

The Republican gains in Congress mean complications for President Obama’s arms control policy, a stalled climate change agenda, possible movement on trade, and likely more support on Afghanistan, say…