Egypt Feature: Cairo Cuts Gas Supplies to Israel --- Will the Power Play Backfire? (Mills)

Whatever the reason for this decision, it has squandered one of the Egyptian energy industry's most precious resources. The one thing more important for gas customers than attractive prices is security. As Algeria discovered in the early 1980s and Russia and Ukraine in 2009, once a gas supplier gains a reputation for unreliability, it is very hard to shake off. With the pipeline bombings and now this contractual action, Egypt has squandered a lot of hard-won trust.

This incident marks the definitive end of a very successful period for Egypt's gas industry.

Click to read more ...

Iran Feature: Stumbling and Stalemate over Sanctions (Mills)b

Nikahang Kowsar on the Supreme Leader, President Obama, and US-led Sanctions

---

As the country that gave the world chess, it is only appropriate that Iran's current sanctions standoff with the United States resembles a game between two inept players. Tehran repeatedly makes bad moves; Washington plays better but has no path to checkmate.

Click to read more ...