Iraq Protests Spark Fear Among the Kurds of Wider Constitutional Review By Burcu Ozcelik - Dec 5, 2019
The anti-government protests in Iraq began as a reprimand of the government for failing to provide adequate basic services and for the rise in unemployment… Continue readingIraq Protests Spark Fear Among the Kurds of Wider Constitutional Review
Tehran’s Proxies Throughout the Middle East Are Feeling the Heat from American Sanctions on Iran By Rasha Al Joundy - Dec 5, 2019
In 2018, Donald Trump announced that the US was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and imposed further sanctions on Tehran. To this day, many, including… Continue readingTehran’s Proxies Throughout the Middle East Are Feeling the Heat from American Sanctions on Iran
Hostage Diplomacy Works Too Well for Iran to Stop By Faisal Al Yafai - Dec 3, 2019
Earlier this month, a US judge awarded an American journalist previously imprisoned in Iran nearly $180 million in compensation for his 18-month ordeal. Jason Rezaian… Continue readingHostage Diplomacy Works Too Well for Iran to Stop
What Is Russia Doing in Africa? By Joseph Dana - Dec 3, 2019
While most of the world has been obsessing about Russia’s involvement in American politics and its growing power in the Middle East, Moscow has been… Continue readingWhat Is Russia Doing in Africa?
Will Smallpox Remain the Only Disease to Be Eradicated from the World? By Jonathan Gornall - Nov 28, 2019
This month in Abu Dhabi health experts gathered for the second biennial Reaching The Last Mile Forum, an initiative launched in 2017 with the ambitious… Continue readingWill Smallpox Remain the Only Disease to Be Eradicated from the World?
Iran and Israel Are Raising Tensions Because They have the Same Problem: They Need to Divert Attention Away from Domestic Failures By Dnyanesh Kamat - Nov 28, 2019
Israel and Iran have something in common. Both face instability at home. Over the last ten days, protests have erupted in at least 100 Iranian… Continue readingIran and Israel Are Raising Tensions Because They have the Same Problem: They Need to Divert Attention Away from Domestic Failures
Russia Is Not Ready for North Syria By Neil Hauer - Nov 28, 2019
If you listen to Russia’s official messaging on Syria, you would think Russia’s sole role in this eight-year conflict was as peacemaker. In between bombing… Continue readingRussia Is Not Ready for North Syria
Elections Will Not Liberate Iraq From Its Greatest Scourge – Iran By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Nov 24, 2019
When, out of 329 elected lawmakers, the Iraqis picked the unelected Adel Abdul-Mahdi for prime minister, he was said to be the compromise choice. In fact, he… Continue readingElections Will Not Liberate Iraq From Its Greatest Scourge – Iran
The Flow of Russian Arms into the Middle East Is Unstoppable By Faisal Al Yafai - Nov 24, 2019
November 13 was a busy day in defense diplomacy. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote to Egypt’s defense minister, warning America’s closest Arab ally that it… Continue readingThe Flow of Russian Arms into the Middle East Is Unstoppable
China’s Growing Interest in Saudi Aramco Is Part of a Long Game By Joseph Dana - Nov 22, 2019
The world’s most profitable company, Saudi Aramco, is going public and the ramifications are going to be seen in some unusual places such as China,… Continue readingChina’s Growing Interest in Saudi Aramco Is Part of a Long Game
Erdogan Conquers Trump: The Postmortem of a Visit By Henri J Barkey - Nov 22, 2019
Coming after Turkey’s invasion of Northern Syria, many among both Turks and Americans wondered why President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had bothered to make the trip to Washington at… Continue readingErdogan Conquers Trump: The Postmortem of a Visit
It’s Time to Rock the Boat and Transform Shipping By Jonathan Gornall - Nov 21, 2019
Such is the density of international shipping represented as tiny symbols on global maritime tracking websites that the vast fleet continuously circling the globe appears… Continue readingIt’s Time to Rock the Boat and Transform Shipping
Are ISIS Prisoners Still Under Secure Guard In Syria? By Haid Haid - Nov 21, 2019
The ongoing Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria presents the worrying prospect of many captured ISIS fighters taking advantage of the chaos to escape and return to… Continue readingAre ISIS Prisoners Still Under Secure Guard In Syria?
Turkey’s Erdogan Scores a Pyrrhic Victory in Washington By Ömer Taşpınar - Nov 19, 2019
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received a warm welcome at the White House on Wednesday. But this facade of good relations between the two countries… Continue readingTurkey’s Erdogan Scores a Pyrrhic Victory in Washington
Setback in Israel-Jordan Relations: A Sign of a More Serious Deterioration? By Ellen Laipson - Nov 14, 2019
The Israel-Jordan peace treaty of 1994 suffered a blow this month, when King Abdullah of Jordan announced an end to a lease arrangement made between… Continue readingSetback in Israel-Jordan Relations: A Sign of a More Serious Deterioration?