Mohammed Sinan Siyech | 29 July 2021
India’s presence in the Middle East region has been continuously evolving over the last few decades. An indicator of its ambitions and positions can be gleaned from its foreign policy stances in the Israel – Palestine conflict
Kamaran Palani | 09 July 2021
This piece considers whether an early election in Iraq will lead to change, or merely reinforce the status quo and current power structure. Considering the key challenges confronting Iraq’s democratic process and genuine popular participation across the country, this piece highlights the ongoing and polarizing public debate in Iraq regarding whether early elections will take place on the planned date of October 10, or their possible postponement to 2022
Ester Sigillo | 07 July 2021 | TR
By declaring the dissolution of the National People’s Assembly in February 2021, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hoped to open a new political cycle for Algeria after years of massive protests. The snap legislative elections held on June 12 took place in a tense climate of generalized repression amid a political and economic crisis
Alessandro Arduino | 04 May 2021 | TR
Following the tense US-China meeting in Alaska during the first high-level US-China talks of the Biden administration in March 2021,[i] Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi carried out a six-country swing through the Middle East.
Valentina Pegolo | 04 May 2021
Following the Arab Spring, Italy has tried to improve its geopolitical position in the Middle East. Its approach, however, has suffered from the lack of a grand strategy and overreliance on strategic partners
Mohammed Sinan Siyech | 22 April 2021 | AR | TR
The Islamic State has gradually ramped up its attacks in Syria and Iraq since the mid-2020. This brief examines the group’s recent activities in both nations to interrogate if the group is undergoing a phase of resurgence in the region. Accordingly, it maps out the different factors that are aiding the group and provides some policy implications for governments in the region
Mehmet Emin Cengiz | 19 April 2021
The intra-Kurdish unity talks between the PYD and the KNC seem to be at an impasse. The unity negotiations, which are undoubtedly the product of times of crisis in Kurdish politics in Syria, started in April 2020, and two rounds of negotiations have already passed. Nevertheless, face-to-face negotiations between the sides stalled months ago, and the third round of talks could not be initiated despite various attempts and US mediation. Moreover, many obstacles lie ahead of the success of the unity talks.
Leonid M. Issaev | 26 March 2021 | AR | TR
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to the Gulf fell during a period of trials between the new United States administration and the GCC countries, primarily Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman's “golden age” came to an end when former President Donald Trump stepped down and was replaced by Democrat Joseph Biden
Leonid M. Issaev | 17 February 2021 | AR | TR
The onset of the Arab uprisings in 2011 marked the beginning of not only a new order in the Middle East, but also the start of Russia’s “return” to the Middle East. Russia would increasingly position itself as one of the key actors which the new regional order would depend on. Researchers
Mohammed Sinan Siyech | 15 January 2021
With the electoral victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, US foreign policy towards the Middle East will witness a few course changes based on previous statements made by the incoming president. It behooves analysts, therefore, to understand what sort of changes a Biden presidency can bring to India’s foreign policy specifically towards the Middle East
