Geopolitical Monitor - Region: Middle East

Mar. 12th (Business Week) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says he is hopeful that members of the U.N. Security Council will soon agree on new sanctions against Iran.

Mar. 11th (Al Jazeera) - The US vice-president has said there should be no delay in resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Mar. 11th (BBC News) - Preliminary results from Iraq elections show the grouping of PM Nouri Maliki is leading in two southern provinces, the electoral body says.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar. 9th (AFP) - Israel's UN ambassador on Tuesday said prospects for crippling UN sanctions against Iran were "grim" because Russia and China want to use diplomacy to convince Iran to scale back its nuclear ambitions.

Mar. 9th (BBC News) - US Vice-President Joe Biden has condemned Israel's approval of 1,600 new homes for ultra-Orthodox Jews in East Jerusalem.

Mar. 8th (BBC News) - The voter turnout in Iraq elections was 62%, officials said, despite attacks that killed 38 people.

Mar. 08 (BBC News) - The US has said Israel's authorisation of new building in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank does not violate a recently announced moratorium.

Mar. 07 (BBC News) - Iraq's second parliamentary election since the 2003 invasion has been hit by multiple attacks, with at least 35 people being killed.

Mar. 4 (BBC News) - At least 14 people have been killed in Baghdad on the first day of voting in Iraq's parliamentary elections.

Mar. 3rd (BBC News) - Two Iranians and five Italians have been arrested by Italian police on suspicion of trafficking arms to Iran, anti-terror police say.