* Will China lead a Middle East alliance as US-Iran tensions escalate? In addition to growing investments in the region, China has proposed to organise a Middle East forum to resolve long-standing problems.
* The only Trump foreign policy Biden wants to keep Joe Biden disagrees with most of President Trump's foreign policy initiatives, but several of his advisers tell Axios that there is one he plans to keep: the Abraham Accords.
* Iran says US 'got the message' on tense exchanges in Gulf Iran says it is glad the United States “got the message” and modified its behavior in the Persian Gulf.
* Israeli, Jordanian foreign ministers meet, with plenty of issues on their agenda Israel's normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and Israel’s apparent rapprochement with Saudi Arabia worry Jordan, especially when it comes to its special custodian status in Jerusalem.
* Netanyahu thanks Trump on three-year anniversary of US recognition of Jerusalem The American proclamation on the Israeli capital will be displayed in Israel’s Cabinet room alongside President Truman’s 1948 proclamation recognizing the newly established State of Israel, says the Israeli premier.
* Is Tehran Building a Devil's Kitchen? We may be proved wrong, but our guess is that Tehran will do nothing to raise the degree of tension even by one notch...
* Jordanian FM: Only two-state solution will bring peace Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi says Israel's "illegal actions" undermine any prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict.
* EU to consider making good on sanctions threat against Turkey EU foreign ministers will evaluate grounds for sanctions against Turkey over a Mediterranean gas dispute on Monday before the bloc’s leaders decide whether to make good on their threat to impose punitive measures.
* Alongside Sisi, Macron says France will sell arms to Egypt irrespective of rights French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday he would not condition the sale of weapons to Egypt on human rights because he did not want to weaken Cairo’s ability to counter terrorism in the region, a comment likely to draw the ire of critics.
* Pope plans pilgrimage visit to Iraq area of Abraham’s birthplace Vatican says that if pandemic permits, Francis will travel in March to the ‘plains of Ur,’ where biblical patriarch is said to have been born.