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.
Tag: Iran
‘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.
Trump’s Dangerous Gamble
The consequences of Trump’s short-sighted decision on the Iran Nuclear Pact and an analysis of the JCPOA’s pros and cons.
Trump’s Ineptitude on Iran
Trump’s Iran policy burns with fury as well as utter incoherence.
Arabs Rising to the Occasion?
Former secretary general of the League of Arab States, Amre Moussa, offers eight recommendations for establishing a new regional order that would see Arab countries end instability and regain control of their futures.
The Widening Saudi–Iran Divide
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran marks a deepening division between regional powers and international hegemons in the Persian Gulf. The Saudis and Iranians have to learn to cooperate or risk further confrontation.
Questioning Iran’s Regional Ambitions
Now that the Islamic State has all but been defeated, some Iranians are beginning to wonder what they will receive in return for supporting regional allies.
A Wiser U.S. Policy for Iran?
As U.S.-Iranian tensions rise, the Trump administration should adopt a political-military strategy that will counter the causes and effects of Iranian aggression.
The Iranian-Israeli Confrontation in Western Syria
With Iran’s deepening engagement in Syria following the expulsion of the Islamic State (IS), the old Iranian-Israeli feud is reigniting.
History is Being Made, but Dangers Also Lurk Ahead
The best hope for the Middle East is for sensible and responsible people in all concerned lands, especially around the Gulf, to grasp the catastrophes that will engulf much of the region if current trends continue.
How a Nuclear Deal Helps Democracy in Iran
The debate on the Iran nuclear deal has largely ignored the effects that an accord might have on politics and society within the country. An Iranian scholar considers what the future might hold.
The Iran Nuclear Deal
Eight experts on what the nuclear deal means for Iran, the United States, the Middle East, and the world.
City of Lies
A study of love, sex, and death in Tehran.
Power of One
In 2003, Shirin Ebadi became the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. She has championed human rights in Iran for three decades, and was a founder of Iran’s women’s movement. Since the anti-freedom crackdown in 2009, she has traveled the globe to press the case for justice in the Islamic Republic.