Archives

Can the Iraqi Prime Minister implement his pledges?

After more than a year of political stalemate, the Iraqi government headed by Mohammad Shiaa al-Sudani was formed, and his selections for ministerial positions were passed without much Parliamentary obstruction. Iraqis hope that the new Prime Minister and his government will be able to fulfil the promises he made to address the country’s deteriorating conditions […]

Lebanon Falls Short on Refugee Returns

Following months of public statements in support of their supposed refugee return plan, Lebanese officials have begun sending Syrian refugees to neighbouring Syria. This effort falls against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the country and Lebanon’s steady economic collapse – both horrific for displaced Syrians. Yet, while Lebanon’s plan to return roughly 15,000 […]

Can the West circumvent the Iranian regime’s ultimate monopoly of the internet?

The ongoing civil protests[i] taking place across Iran in response to the killing of Gina (Mahsa) Amini, which have been taking place since 13 September, have been accompanied by the vast social media exposure which has become characteristic[ii] of public protests in recent years. Social media has been praised by experts as emancipatory tool[iii] with […]

The Lebanon-Israel maritime deal: A masterstroke from Hezbollah?

Hezbollah’s approach to Lebanon’s historic maritime deal with Israel is canny because it can be interpreted in two ways. As the Lebanese government rubs its hands in anticipation of potential lucrative hydrocarbon revenues, Hezbollah has another reason to celebrate last month’s landmark maritime border deal with Israel. Soon after the breakthrough, which saw the two warring countries […]

Netanyahu’s return throws future of Israel-Gulf ties into question

Published in the Jerusalem Post

How the Middle East Thinks About Great Power Competition

Published in the National Interest

Iranian Crisis: The Regime at a Crossroads

Iranian Crisis: The Regime at a Crossroads Held on 15 November, 2022 Speakers Professor Ali Ansari | Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. Azadeh Pourzand |Human rights researcher and a civic entrepreneur, former editor-in-chief of Women’s Policy Journal of Harvard, John F. […]

Muqtada’s Retirement from Iraqi Politics Shows the Power of the Maraji

On 29 August 2022, Muqtada Al-Sadr, Iraq’s Shi’ite-nationalist leader, announced his permanent retirement from Iraqi politics. One of the major factors that led to this announcement was the decision by Sayyid Kadhim Al-Haeri, the Grand Ayatollah and the spiritual leader of the Sadrist Movement, to withdraw his support from Muqtada. While this is not the […]

Lebanon’s New Lawmakers and the Potential of Parliamentary Friendship Groups

In May 2022, Lebanon held parliamentary elections with a turnout of 49.2 per cent, including the votes of Lebanese expatriates living abroad[i]—a 0.5 per cent drop since 2018. Yet the electoral stakes were higher than ever for the population. A multi-layered economic calamity, a protracted political crisis, the aftermath of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, […]

Regime Legitimation in Syria: How the West Is Falling for Bashar al-Assad’s Propaganda

“Assad or no one”; “Assad or we burn the country.” This slogan, first uttered by militiamen at the onset of the Syrian Civil War, reflects Bashar al-Assad’s relation to power: in his vision, the Syrian state and the name Assad are inseparable. Historically inherited from his father’s power practice,[i] he perceives himself as the sole legitimate […]