The Associated Press assesses how internal problems in the Iranian government might open up after the upcoming Baghdad nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 countries.

We look at which figures from Middle Eastern politics and cultural life have been included in TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012″ list.

Writing exclusively for CMEC, Shashank Joshi from the Royal United Services Institute considers whether the Arab League can be an effective actor in the Middle East following the events of the Arab awakening and recent turmoil in Syria.

Persephone Johnstone-Burt writes exclusively for CMEC on Iran, the sanctions and growing domestic instability.

William Hague wished the Iranian community a Happy Norouz  and expressed his hopes that the cultures and histories of Britons and Iranians can be celebrated.

The Rt Hon Nicholas Soames MP calls for the UK to “break out of the conventional approach” towards Iran.

In the Guardian, Andrew Cummings, formerly an adviser on the Middle East and US affairs at the Cabinet Office, calls for a comprehensive strategy against Iran.

Watch Karim Sadjadpour and Haleh Esfandiari discuss the impact of the sanctions on Iran.

With pressure mounting on Iran it is important to understand Israel’s position, Persephone Johnstone-Burt from the Israeli Embassy argues that Iran is a threat and calls for ‘crippling sanctions’ to be imposed.