The deadly impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Iran has given a new focus to the ongoing debate about the purpose, effectiveness and relevance of US sanctions imposed on the country. Many leaders, political figures, and organisations have questioned the continuance of these sanctions. These include the UN Secretary General, the UN Special Rapporteurs on […]
Tag Archive | Middle East
The Obsolescence of Sanctions against Iran
Posted on June 21, 2020.
Posted in Iran, Middle East, US, World
Saudi Arabia in Transition: Mohammed bin Salman and Vision 2030
Posted on February 25, 2018.
A new country is gradually emerging from the desert terrain of Saudi Arabia. Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS as the Crown Prince is commonly known, is at the helm. At 32 years of age, Mohammed bin Salman is the youngest minister of defence in the world, and is offering an ambitious programme of economic, religious, […]
Posted in corruption, Economic Security, Global Economy, Saudi Arabia, World
The Truth Behind the Fiction: 16 Days to End Violence Against Women
Posted on December 10, 2017.
The television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ has gripped viewers and political pundits alike, since its release in April 2017, for its astonishingly realistic parallels between the fictional world of Gilead, and the very real Donald Trump led USA. As the global campaign for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence draws to […]
Posted in Culture, Global Economy, Security Issues, UN, World
Iran Nuclear Deal: Tehran Looks to Mitigate Effects of US Withdrawal
Posted on May 23, 2018.
The withdrawal of the Trump Administration from the Iran nuclear deal was a long time coming. Concluded in 2015 after months of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries (United States, France, United Kingdom, Russia, China and Germany), the agreement seemingly provided a win-win outcome both in terms of the international community’s desire to rein […]
Posted in Economics, Global Economy, Iran, Middle East, US, World
Qatar’s Actions Destabilize Bahrain and Gulf Region
Posted on July 5, 2017.
Grievances between Qatar and much of the rest of Middle East go back decades and help explain the schism that burst into the open recently and led to the widespread boycott of Qatar. Take the case of bad blood between Bahrain and Qatar. Bahrain is still angered over Qatar’s attempts to use its vast funds […]
Posted in Conflict, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, World
Understanding the Saudi-Iranian Cold War: A Road Map
Posted on January 22, 2016.
The execution of a renowned Arab Shi’a cleric, Sheikh Nimr, just after the New Year has set long-standing rivals Iran and Saudi-Arabia on a new collision course. Radical elements in Iran attacked the Saudi diplomatic compound in the country prompting Riyadh to sever its relations with Tehran. While the Iranian government condemned the attacks, immediately dismissing some officials […]
Posted in Conflict, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Political Security, Religion, Security Issues, Syria, World
Shaping Safety: How Architects Can Build a Stronger Peace
Posted on March 10, 2016.
I take my home for granted. There, I said it. Chances are you do, too, if your conception of home – like mine – does not include worrying about the daily dangers of a civil war playing out on your doorstep; the mortar shelling that has left your family homeless; or the stability of […]
Posted in Conflict, Humanitarian Intervention, Iraq, Middle East, Refugees, Security Issues, Syria, World
Interview: A Diplomatic View – From the Middle East to Obama’s U.K. Trip
Posted on May 7, 2016.
I sat down with the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.K., Minister Elizabeth Dibble, to discuss the Obama visit, the Middle East and the complex Iran-Saudi relationship. The Obama Visit to the U.K. D.M.: You touched on President Obama’s visit in your talk and what he said about the EU referendum. What for […]
Posted in Conflict, Interviews, Iran, Israel, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Middle East, Political Security, Saudi Arabia, Security Issues, Syria, US, World, Yemen
President Trump’s Failure to Connect the Dots
Posted on April 9, 2017.
Most children learn early on the art of connecting the dots. Draw a line from one dot to another in a logical pattern and an image begins to emerge. The art of foreign policy has similar characteristics. Policy makers try to connect the dots, attempting to imagine the ways their decision will effect the larger […]
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: On the History and Legality of Detention Centres
Posted on May 7, 2016.
It’s official: Australia’s “Stop the Boats” campaign is a success. Or so the government claims. Back in 2013, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott ascended to his post in part because of his pledge to “stop the boats,” or, in less catchy rhetoric, to prevent asylum seekers – mostly arriving by sea from the Middle East […]
Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Conflict, Europe, Iran, Political Security, Refugees, Syria, UN, World
Mediterranean Migration Reveals Flaws in Dublin Convention
Posted on February 21, 2015.
John Donne famously reminded us that ‘no man is an island’. Likewise in today’s polycentric, ever-globalized, and interconnected world, no state can remain untouched by social, economic, or political influences from neighbouring states. As terrible as Islamic State has been for people living in Syria, Iraq and Libya, its effects on Europe are also increasingly being felt. […]
Posted in Africa, Conflict, Economic Security, Europe, Germany, Humanitarian Intervention, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Refugees, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, UN, World
The Forerunners of ISIS
Posted on December 6, 2015.
The recent creation and sudden conquests of the so-called “Islamic State” have astonished policy-makers, military strategists, and foreign affairs analysts. The self-proclaimed caliphate of Abû al-Baghdâdi went from a broken outfit of Iraqi insurgents to a feared theocracy that currently threatens the established order of the Middle East. One can be forgiven for thinking such a movement as being […]
Posted in Africa, Culture, Education, Islam, Middle East, Religion, Terrorism, World
Kurdistan: the Next Epicentre of Regional Instability
Posted on August 30, 2015.
Kurdistan is a nation that encompasses parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, but it is not a state. In post-Saddam Iraq the Kurds have had success in forming a new autonomous Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) with their own military. In July last year, KRG President Masoud Barzani asked his parliament to prepare for an independence referendum. The Kurds have a […]
Posted in Conflict, Iraq, Middle East, Security Issues, Syria, US, World
Was ISIS Inevitable?
Posted on April 4, 2015.
ISIS’ exploits dominate headlines, horrifying witnesses around the world. As a history graduate who specialised in researching the rise of Islam, its culture, and its creation of a complex and inspiring civilisation, the recent destruction of millennia old artefacts have almost reduced me to tears. As we now watch and condemn the destruction of priceless […]
Posted in Conflict, Humanitarian Intervention, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Political Security, Refugees, Religion, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, World
What Price Stability? Jordan’s Balancing Act
Posted on August 15, 2015.
At a time when the Middle East appears to be crumbling Jordan appears to be standing firm – a beacon of hope in a burning region. But is Jordan really as stable as it appears? Are we just turning a blind eye to the compromises that come with such stability at a time of such uncertainty […]
Posted in Middle East, Political Security, World
When You Have a Gun, Every Problem Looks Like a Nail
Posted on August 27, 2015.
The shooting of journalist Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward live on breakfast television in Virginia was unimaginably horrific. Sadly, even the harrowing screams of Ms Parker in her last seconds are unlikely to change the U.S. debate about guns, but they should. These TV journalists were not operating in certain parts of Syria, Iraq, or Libya where they […]
After Authoritarianism: State Development and National Identity in the Middle East
Posted on April 18, 2015.
The Arab Uprisings have resulted in an increase in the expression of both sectarian and trans-state identities, making the process of reunification and the prospects for a peaceful coexistence somewhat dependent on the new leaderships’ ability to unite, make amends and, possibly for the first time in the region, craft a territorial nationalism that complements rather […]
Posted in Conflict, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Syria, Terrorism, World
ISIS, Islam and Credulity: More Irreverence Needed in the Fight Against Extremism
Posted on March 15, 2015.
This week, King Abdullah of Jordan appealed to European parliamentarians to help root out both terrorism and ‘Islamophobia’. Setting aside this interesting conflation, the wholesale failure of Arab and majority Muslim countries to embody either mutual respect or inclusivity towards many of their ethno-religious minorities bespeaks of an imbalance in critical attention to how those […]
Posted in Europe, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Political Security, Religion, Security Issues, Syria, Terrorism, World
Bibi Wins Re-election in Israel, But at What Cost?
Posted on March 28, 2015.
Incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won re-election. Under immense pressure, Netanyahu displayed his winner mentality and insatiable desire to govern Israel by seemingly pulling out all the stops to assure another Likud victory, but at what cost? First there was Netanyahu’s Republican-hosted speech to U.S. Congress where his apparent aim was to display […]
Posted in Conflict, Middle East, Security Issues, UN, US, World
Interesting Developments in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Posted on February 6, 2015.
There is a convenient falsehood every time a ceasefire agreement occurs and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict temporarily vanishes from the media. It is the assumption that the conflict has come to a halt and a diplomatic solution brokered by the United States is soon to follow. The truth is that the conflict does not stop, because the status […]
Posted in Conflict, Middle East, Security Issues, World
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“Today’s Morocco is Not That of the Past”
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When Putsch Comes to Shove: A Historical Take on Trump’s Attack at the Capitol
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The Significance of the Morocco-Israel-US Deal for Regional Peace
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Undoing the GOP Manipulation of the Courts. What the US Can Learn From Germany
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The Futures of US Foreign Policy in Latin America
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