Archives

Bahrain: Tribalism, Sectarianism, and the Challenges of the 21st Century

More than any other Arab Gulf state, Bahrain reflects the contradictions and conflicts of its past—an ossified British colonial political structure without the British. Al Khalifah rule is a byproduct of Pax Britannia—the Al Khalifah happened to be at the right place at the right time. Contemporary Bahraini stability and security challenges are rooted in the […]

Saudi Arabia is the Gulf’s Status Quo Power

Saudi Arabia has been an anchor of stability and growth in the Gulf and beyond. There are at least three reasons for this. First, as the largest economy in the Arab world, it acts as a major source of economic support for struggling Arab nations. Second, as the largest state in the Gulf region, it […]

The UAE and Qatar’s Thawing Relationship

In recent years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been on a diplomatic spree, re-normalising relations with a host of countries in the region, including Syria, Iran and Turkey, as well as formalising ties with Israel. The UAE’s reconciliation with Qatar following the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) historic al-Ula summit of January 2021 is illustrative […]

Iraq’s Diplomatic Mediations: Strong on Symbolism but Short on Substance

Over the last two years, Iraq has been overwhelmed with protests, internal instability, US-Iran confrontation on Iraqi soil, political stalemate, and intra-Shia power rivalries. However, against all odds, Iraq has also witnessed an unprecedented diplomatic push, with attempts to integrate the country into the regional political and economic map and establish itself as a player […]

Charting a New Direction: Turkey and Israel Normalise Ties

On 17 August 2022, Turkey and Israel announced that they would restore diplomatic ties and appoint ambassadors. Signs that the tide was turning were apparent with Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s highly publicised visit to Ankara in March—the first trip by an Israeli head of state to Turkey since 2007. Later in May, Turkish foreign minister […]

Is the Anti-Assad Camp Stuck in a Prisoner’s Dilemma?

Recent events surrounding the Syrian war are impacting diplomatic and political processes designed to end it, including Turkish calls for reconciliation talks with the Syrian government. This is a result of Russian efforts to force a rapprochement between Ankara, the Syrian opposition, and the Kurds in northeast Syria with the Assad regime, developing a prisoner’s […]

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 close to a year and a half. Upon the formal adoption of the new agreement and following the initial process it outlines, Iran will have […]

‘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 Syrian Civil War. Those expectations, formulated by then-Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, however, had to be tested by realpolitik, and have since been largely […]

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 for peace,” he promoted “peace for peace.”[i] For decades, this suggestion was ridiculed as either totally unrealistic or just a political ploy. But the dawn […]

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 participation to an “appropriate level” in the upcoming round.[i] Although the restoration of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh is on the horizon, relations will remain […]