Iran at a Strategic Breaking Point
The war in June and recent nationwide protests could shape not only Iran’s future but also broader debates on sovereignty, intervention, nuclear proliferation, and the prospects for fundamental political change
Tag: Iran
Caught in the Crossfire: Jordan’s Balancing Act in the Iran-Israel Conflict
Jordan’s defensive action to intercept Iran’s retaliatory drones and missiles, slashing through its skies in mid-June, has drawn both approval and criticism, underscoring the kingdom’s struggles to balance strategic alliances with public opinion
Israel and Iran: Major Threats to Middle East Stability
Both states have violated international law and instigated regional chaos
Gamechanger or Fantasy? Trump’s Evolving Middle East Strategy
Trump’s return to the White House has revived his ambition to reshape the Middle East, but as the recent war between Israel and Iran shows, the way forward is anything but simple and demands an unprecedented level of U.S. involvement
Tehran’s Red Lines, Trump’s Maximum Pressure, and Regime Survival
Progress toward a potential nuclear deal between the United States and Iran stalls, amid a high-stakes process for Tehran and others
Iran’s Civil Society May Be its Best Hope
Iran is engaging in talks with the United States as it feels the weight of economic, diplomatic, and domestic crises. The outcome is not clear and democracy isn’t within reach, but its civil society, representing the nation’s best hope for positive change, hasn’t yet lost its resilience
The U.S. Presbyterian Mission in Iran— with Matthew Shannon: CR Amplified ep. 3
Many see the United States and Iran as sworn enemies, but few are aware about the deep history of the relationship between the two countries. A focal point of this shared history can be seen through Christian missionaries present in Tehran during the first half of the 20th century.
Round Two: Trump’s Foreign Policy Takes on New Challenges
Trump will have to manage the continuing conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and the rising power of China as he navigates the beginning of his second term
Duel with Israel is Turbocharging Iranian Nationalism
There’s only one ingredient in the Iranian people’s worldview that has not been outperformed by a disastrous mélange of crackdowns on civil liberties, economic maladies, corruption, and the specter of an all-out confrontation with Israel: nationalism
Syria is the Middle East’s Hinge, but Which Way Will It Turn?
The demise of the Syrian dictator has put the country on the precipice of the chaos and instability other countries experienced since the Arab uprisings. But there is a glimmer of hope that Syria can buck the trend and instead embrace tolerance, plurality, and security
It’s Been a Year
It’s time to end this war
Iranians Don’t Want a War With Israel
Most believe that Tehran’s engagement in the battle for Palestinian emancipation is intrusive and uncalled for
Iran’s Election: Reality Versus the Dominant Narrative
The primary discourse on Iran’s politics obscures its nuanced reality through binary and inaccurate labels of “moderate” and “hardliner”; examining this framework reveals a deep Western insecurity about Iran’s and the Global South’s rising power
The World Fears Wider War After Hamas Leader’s Assassination
The international community races to reduce tension after a series of targeted killings carried out by Israel
From Cold War to Regional Reconciliation: The New Pragmatism in the Middle East
The new pragmatism in the Middle East is leading to a regional reconciliation process that, though some critics doubt it, is showing signs that it can sustain itself in the near future.
The Saudi Gambit in Washington
Saudi Arabia is in a position to become a major international player but to sustain such a role it needs to consolidate its leadership in the Middle East.
The Arab Summit, which concluded in Jeddah last weekend, may well have just confirmed the Kingdom’s leadership of the Arab World. But now Riyadh needs to transform that into a regional leadership role.
Such a regional undertaking requires—in addition to taking the lead on the political settlement of the various crises that have plagued the region—the sagacious management of its relationships with both the United States and Israel. » Read more about: The Saudi Gambit in Washington »
Iran-Saudi Arabia: A Regional Transformation?
The expected resumption of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran has the potential to reshape the dynamics of the Middle East by bringing an end to proxy wars and creating opportunity for regional stability.
Is Theocratic Rule in Iran Coming to an End?
With every wave of protest over the past few years comes mounting expectations that the Islamic rule in Iran will come to an end.
What Losing the Iran Deal Could Mean for the Region
If President Joe Biden is seeking to restore sustainable peace and security in the region, he has to start with reviving the JCPOA
The Ukraine War: The View from Iran
Why has Iran chosen to clandestinely have closer ties with Russia in the Ukraine War?
A Revolution and A War: How Iran Transformed Today’s Middle East
How the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the eight-year Iran–Iraq War greatly and irreversibly influenced the geopolitics and regional dynamics of the Middle East
The Changing Middle East Regional Order
A history of the Arab state system starting from the second half of the twentieth century to the present
A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Did Saudi Arabia miss a huge opportunity at an early engagement with Iraq?
The Rise of the United Arab Emirates
By harnessing national confidence, proactively dealing with regional security concerns and exercising geopolitical cooperation, the UAE is positioning itself as a regional powerhouse.
Iran and the GCC: Prospects for a Grand Reconciliation
To realize shared priorities and fulfill the Persian Gulf’s potential as a global cornerstone for energy and trade, hardline Gulf states must acquiesce to waning U.S. hegemony and pursue reconciliation with Iran.
Why the Phrase “Arab Spring” Should be Retired
It’s time to stop using a Western-based concept ten years on from the events that began the Arab Uprisings.
“Reconciliation” in the Communiqué of the Gulf Cooperation Council
A lengthy diplomatic process is still needed to pave the way toward a true Arab rapprochement.
A Timeline of Arab Rapprochement
A blockade of Qatar is lifted after Arabs mend fences and resume diplomatic ties.
Arab Retooling of the Iran Nuclear Agreement
Middle East peace and security must include regional involvement in any future U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement.
Embracing Change: U.S. Foreign Policy Shifts
Former U.S. diplomat and American University in Cairo President Francis Ricciardone discusses whether a Biden win will see a return to a rules based international order.
COVID-19 after an “Annus Horribilis”
The Coronavirus in Iran after a “Horrible Year”
Re-Engineering Regional Security
In the last half-century, Egypt has had to negotiate its way through the Arab–Israeli peace process, regional nuclear proliferation, and domestic political transition. What has it taught us?
Iranian Election and the Coronavirus Podcast
Holly Dagres, Iran expert, speaks with the Cairo Review’s Senior Editor Sean David Hobbs.
Meme-ifying “World War III”
How the Soleimani assassination has called into question what “war” means today and how the world should respond
Amid Fuel Protests, Iran’s Hardliners See Historic Opportunity
Citing external pressures and foreign intervention, Tehran has brutally cracked down on dissidents.
Security for All or for None
Iranian foreign policy guru Seyed Hossein Mousavian discusses nuclear weaponization and the need for a multilateral security network in the Middle East
The Neo-Ballistic Middle East
Over the past forty years, Iran has written the book on Lebanization and using non-state actors in interstate warfare
Avoiding an Ominous Arms Race
Begin by holding negotiations for a WMD-free zone to which Israel, Iran, and all Arab states are party
Reinventing Peace in Syria
For Syria, and the rest of the world, the era of liberal peacebuilding has passed. But there are other ways to make peace, which call for a return to basics and a new kind of “software”
An Iran Strategy Worth Fighting For
U.S. and Saudi confrontations with Iran are causing proxy-warfare in weak or failing Arab states and escalating tensions in the Gulf, but there might still be a chance for diplomatic progress with the right combination of measures targeting Gulf-specific, regional, and international issues.
Thinking Arab Futures
Drivers, scenarios, and strategic choices for an improved Arab World
A Regional Order Contested
Extreme instability has prompted a fundamental reconfiguration of the contemporary Middle East; as the old order crumbles, a new one has yet to emerge
A Win-Win for Iran and the Region
Iran’s role in the “end-state diplomatic model” of conflict resolution and crisis management in the Middle East
Swamped in a Triple Crisis
Following the 2017–18 uprising, Iran is sick, stuck in three endemic crises with a foreign policy unlikely to alleviate what ails it
A Different Kind of Rationality
Iran continues its military presence in Syria even after the fight is won—a move which is underpinned by the Islamic Republic’s core deterrence and defense foreign policy against possible Israeli or US military action.
Preserving Kurdish Autonomy
Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.
Pompeo’s “Real New Beginning”?
In a speech which may have policy implications for the Trump Administration’s Middle East policy, the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lays out plans for the region at the American University in Cairo.
Battling for Southwestern Syria
While Assad and his supporters seem close to reconquering Southwestern Syria, stability is far from assured.
Saved by Europe or Killed by Trump?
A commentary on whether Europe will be able to salvage the Iranian Nuclear Pact or if the Trump Administration can unilaterally scrap the JCPOA.
Iranian Women, Work, and the Gender Regime
Iranian women advance their political agency even as their government imposes a neo-patriarchal economic and political system in the Islamic Republic.