Middle Orient

What happens in the Middle East will not be contained there, so the European Union should prepare for this by reaffirming its values. The second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 will be a reminder to Europeans that a safe and secure security paradigm for Europe is …

Emerging countries in the “global South” are resisting Western narratives on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which isn’t such a bad thing. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva created controversy last Sunday, while attending the African Union summit, when he stated, “What’s happening in the Gaza Strip isn’t a war, it’s …

As Tehran moves toward consolidating its regional power, will it agree to ultimately disarm its Arab allies? Can it afford not to? Reports in recent weeks as the Gaza war continues indicate that Iran has asked its allies throughout the Middle East to pause their attacks against U.S. forces, fearing …

America can stop the carnage and famine in Gaza, but has not done so. Surely, this makes it complicit in the mass killings there. As the horror in Gaza continues, Americans in particular should repeat one simple proposition to themselves: Their government is complicit in prolonging a war in which …

In an interview, Harith Hasan discusses Baghdad’s Development Road project, and sees obstacles ahead. Harith Hasan is a nonresident senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, and a resercher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. His research focuses on Iraq, sectarianism, identity politics, …

Turnout in Iran’s national polls was historically low, marking the third vote in a row in which most people stayed away. In parallel, conservatives tightened their hold on the Islamic Republic’s institutions. The two trends together highlight the growing gap between state and society. On 1 March, Iran held its …

Israel’s PM Netanyahu may be trying to extend his country’s conflicts to maintain his hold on power, analysts argue. After Israel killed at least one person in an attack on Baalbek, its second attack on eastern Lebanon since October 7, a reported 100 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, …

The Iranian presence in Syria has always been a source of concern at a regional level, for Arab countries on the one hand, and for Israel on the other. If the partial Arab severance of relations with al-Assad has pushed the issue of Iranian presence off the negotiation table, this …

At the end of 2023, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the political umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that controls northeastern Syria, came out with an updated “social contract” to replace an old one that had faced criticism at home and abroad. A new formula …

The Syrian Islamic Council supported the popular movement in various towns and cities of northwest Syria, led by activists and civilians since February 26. In a statement published by the Council regarding the demonstrations, it said that it has been monitoring the protests against injustice and tyranny since their inception. …