The natural gas bonanza in the eastern Mediterranean just keeps getting bigger and so do the geopolitical headaches.

Israel, whose exploration is the most advanced, is making new strikes. Cyprus is on the cusp of energy riches and Lebanon is hustling to get its act together to launch exploration of its waters.

All this has stirred political tensions in the region, exacerbating old rivalries between Israel and Lebanon and between

Turkey and Greece, with Syria, Egypt and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip likely to get dragged in somewhere down.

Now Russia, seemingly determined to rival Turkish ambitions of regional influence, is getting involved.

In May, Turkey, a former strategic ally of Israel and now one of his most fervent critics, warned off major international companies seeking exploration licenses from the Greek Cypriot government, Israel's new ally, in disputed waters...continue reading