Why Peace Isn’t Coming to Iran-GCC Relations

Iran and the remaining parties to the nuclear agreement—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—plus the United States have been locked into talks about its revival for […]
How Israel Has Embraced the ‘New Middle East’

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former Prime Minister, who is once again running for that office, made a career selling a catching idea. Instead of the unappealing and risky formula of “land […]
Can Europe Sustain the Iranian-Saudi Rapprochement?

On 20 July 2022, the spokesperson of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared an upbeat assessment of the five rounds of the Iranian-Saudi private talks, alluding to the upgrade of […]
Beyond a Tacit Security Regime: Constraints on Saudi-Israeli Relations

Israel’s relationship with the Gulf states has been characterised as hostile since the former’s establishment as a state. Yet the shifting regional dynamics following the 2011 Arab Spring have dramatically […]
Domestic Political Chaos Is Not the Only Thing Happening in Iraq

It appears that calm has returned to Iraq after the reported intervention of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the country’s chief and widely respected Shia cleric. In recent weeks, violence had occurred […]
The Shaping of the Persian Gulf Security Order

The Persian Gulf is of great importance, both in terms of energy resources and because it is a strategic passage for regional trade. Fundamentally, the internal security of countries in […]
Can Lebanon and Israel avoid war by solving their maritime border dispute?

Lebanon and Israel are stuck in indirect negotiations over where the lines should be drawn with respect to their maritime borders and the scope of each state’s rights to explore […]
Iraq’s Educational System: History and Rebuilding Process Post-Daesh

Introduction Wars, conflicts and resistance campaigns not only destroyed the economy of Iraq, but also severely damaged the education system. The public education system is the backbone of any civil […]
Why the Iran Nuclear Talks are Set up for Failure

Published in International Policy Digest