Thinking Arab Futures
Drivers, scenarios, and strategic choices for an improved Arab World
Tag: Iran
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.