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 […]
‘Make Friends Not Foes’: Turkey Goes Back to Basics in the Middle East
Since the Arab Spring, Ankara has dreamed of redesigning the region; an ambitious policy that showcased itself in Turkey’s relations with Egypt, as well as the Turkish intervention in the […]
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 […]
Why Iran Doubts Joe Biden’s Jerusalem Declaration
The Jerusalem Declaration on the US-Israel Strategic Partnership commits the United States and its top Middle East allies “to use all elements of their national power to prevent Iran from obtaining a […]
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 […]
Why Hamas’ Russian diplomacy initiative could bother Israel
In early May, Moscow accepted the request of a visiting Hamas delegation to mediate between rival Palestinian factions. This diplomatic achievement gives Hamas new ways to challenge Israel; both in […]
Why the Iran Nuclear Talks are Set up for Failure
Published in International Policy Digest