Saudi-Iranian Normalization: What’s behind the Surprising Deal?
Through the Saudi-Iran deal, China declared its aspiration to become the hegemon in the Middle East, a title the U.S. has long claimed.
Middle East
“I Escaped Israel’s Prisons Three Times” – An Interview with Hamza Younis
Long story short, we fought them with our fists. The jailers called for help from the police, but we managed…
Iran’s Joy Over the Taliban’s Victory in Afghanistan Will Be Short-Lived
The Taliban will now be wary of Iranian subterfuge and will crackdown vigorously against any plot against them, perhaps forming…
Political Shiism and State-Building in Iraq: An Interview with Ali Taher El-Hammood
Eighteen years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi Shiites are divided on the relationship between political power, ethnicity, and…
Raisi’s Foreign Policy: Notes on Iran’s New Cabinet
President Raisi’s new cabinet reflects his hardline approach.
Realpolitik vs. Idealpolitik: Turkey-Gulf Re-friending after a Decade-Long Rivalry
The Middle East has proven this several times: yesterday’s enemy could be tomorrow’s ally.
Sudan and Turkey Head towards Strategic Cooperation?
The deepening of bilateral ties will provide many strategic benefits to both Turkey and Sudan. Right now, Turkey is standing…
Lebanon’s Specter of Civil War
The specter of civil war is always looming over Lebanon, but, this time, the international community is not interested in…
Six Palestinian Prisoners Tunnel Out of Israeli Prison
The escape took place at 3:35 A.M. on September 6, 2021. Six prisoners, who all shared a cell, reportedly took…
Al-Kadhimi’s Dashing Hopes: Regional Security Conference Held in Baghdad
The modest diplomatic gains which al-Kadhimi has achieved stand at odds with numerous insurmountable political and economic challenges he faces…
Post-Islamism in the Muslim World
In recent years, scholars have tried to apply the post-Islamism theory to different cases, specifically the contexts where political Islam…
Morocco-Algeria: Looming Conflict
What had to happen, happened. Algeria and Morocco have broken off their diplomatic relations. What will happen now?
Adding Fuel to Fire: The Politics of Power Outages in Gaza
The continuing electricity crisis in Gaza means that it is only a matter of time before another Palestinian family dies…
Egyptian TV Dramas and Self-Orientalism
By reproducing an originally Western image of Islamist groups, Egyptian filmmakers have created a self-orientalist image of their fellow citizens.
Notturno: A Dark Purgatorial World in the Fertile Crescent
The film opens with a series of marching soldiers passing under a majestic sky and this theme of unobtrusively allowing…
On Colonialism and Solidarity: The Decisive Israel-Palestine Battle under way in Africa
Despite Israel’s sense of triumphalism, it seems that the fight for Africa is still raging, a battle of politics, ideology…
Iran Lashes Out as Local Discontent Heats Up: Droughts a Rallying Cry
Without addressing the underlying problems, civil unrest, economic stress, and instability are just getting started in Iran.
The Straw That Might Break the Camel’s Back in Saudi-UAE Relations
The Gulf states no longer hide their conflicts and see no harm in letting external actors publicly discuss them.
The Morality of Violence in Settler-Colonial Contexts: From Algeria to Palestine
Settler-colonialism is violent in nature. Violence creates a vicious cycle and the way to end it passes through ending colonial…