The ascendancy of China and Russia in the 21st century has had major implications for the Middle East and North Africa's geopolitical order. Jon Hoffman, a PhD student at George Mason University, discusses how countries in the region are responding to the return of greater power competition.
The chaotic situation in Afghanistan is a major concern for all neighboring countries, including Iran. Hamidreza Azizi, an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs, analyzes Tehran's relationship with the Taliban.
There is a decades-old history of Washington imposing sanctions on Iran for various reasons. Emma Scott, the Iran lead and research assistant at Project Alpha in the Centre for Science and Security Studies at King’s College London, discusses the background of sanctions on Tehran.
Turkey’s relationships with Egypt and Saudi Arabia have improved following years of friction. Esra Pakin Albayrakoglu, a professor at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul and a visiting professor at the National Defense University, discusses the dynamics influencing Ankara’s foreign policy.
There seems to be no end in sight for the political crisis in Somalia. On February 8, the mandate of President Muhammad Abdullahi Muhammad, commonly known as Farmajo, expired without a date set for either parliamentary or presidential elections. The protests called by the opposition Council of the...
Members of the P5+1 have been facilitating indirect US-Iran talks in Vienna with the hope of reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which the US pulled out of in 2018. Sina Toossi, a senior research analyst at the National Iranian American Council, explains what is at stake.
In recent months, the United Arab Emirates has adopted a number of stances inimical to Turkish ambitions in the Mediterranean. This has taken the form of closer relations between the UAE, Greece and Greek Cyprus, more joint military exercises, and increased energy collaboration with Israel via the...
Sharing land borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia, Iran has vested interests in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Hamidreza Azizi, an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, analyzes Tehran's perspective on the current situation.
At the beginning of February, the Biden administration made two relevant decisions on Yemen with far-reaching consequences for the country and US policy in the Arabian Peninsula. The first announcement concerned the end of US support for "offensive operations" conducted by the Saudi-led coalition...
Armenia and Azerbaijan’s six-week war for control of Nagorno-Karabakh came to an end with a Russia-brokered deal on November 10, 2020. However, the agreement, which Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders signed, has major implications for Iran.
Regarding Russia’s foreign policy in the Middle East, it is important to ask how the normalization of the UAE and Bahrain’s relationships with Israel will play out.
Amid a period in which the US has been imposing “maximum pressure” on Iran, Tehran has moved closer to China, which is playing a balancing role in the Gulf region.
As an internationally respected Arab diplomat who was Kuwait’s foreign minister before becoming emir in 2006, the late Sheikh Sabah was an architect of his country’s foreign policy.
The normalization of the UAE and Bahrain’s relations with Israel could have major geopolitical implications for China.
Russia has come back to the crowded Red Sea. On November 11, 2020, the Russian government announced its agreement with Sudan to establish a naval base at the city of Port Sudan. While the Russian navy already enjoys access rights to the port, the concession with Khartoum envisages the creation of...
