The Arrogance and Limits of American Power in the Latest Gulf War

By Alaa Elhadidi / Summer 2026

With waning confidence in American influence and power to maintain peace in the region, Arab middle powers are moving toward a security equation characterized by multi-lateralism and regional defence pacts.

The New Gulf Realignments: Saudi-UAE Competition and the Evolution of Regional Order

By Abdelrahim Shalaby / Summer 2026

The GCC is transforming, and the relationship between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi is guiding the change.

The Iran War and the Limits of Great Power

By Caroline Dibble and Gedaliah Afterman / Summer 2026

As American military power and Chinese geoeconomics fall short, regional players are searching for greater agency.

Libya’s Managed Chaos: Why the ‘Failed State’ Narrative is a Lie

By Youssef Mohammad Sawani / Summer 2026

For over a decade, international commentary on Libya has been trapped in a patronizing loop. It’s time to emerge from that narrative.

Europe’s Credibility Crisis in the Middle East

By Klara Vlahčević Lisinski / Summer 2026

Europe talks about rules but follows power. When power shifts, Europe shifts with it, belatedly and uncertainly.

Will Washington and Beijing Nationalize AI Labs?

By Paul Triolo / Summer 2026

Both countries are increasing government oversight on artificial intelligence, but whether (or when) they enact total state control depends on their own perceptions of risk and potential leaps in AI development.

Local Mediation in Southwestern Yemen Alleviates Life Under Siege

By Maeen Al-Obaidi / Spring 2026

For the residents of Taiz under one of the longest military blockades in history, life became a daily struggle of days-long journeys searching for food, water, and vital medical supplies. This is the story of one Yemeni woman whose name became synonymous with bringing the warring parties together.

Reconciling a Fractured Sudan

By Nureldin Satti / Spring 2026

To address Sudan’s problems, the efforts of the Sudanese people and international mediators must be synchronized.

The Complexity of Mediating the Libyan Quagmire

By Abdussalam Elbelazi / Spring 2026

Mediators in Libya hoping to create a mechanism to establish an egalitarian and inclusive state often find themselves challenged by factional politics, foreign interventions, and a heritage of repressive authoritarianism.

Empowering Peacemakers: The Pathways to Hope Project

Spring 2026

How can we build peace in a region embroiled in conflict? The project’s team shares more about their mission to strengthen mediation efforts.

Between Ambition and Abandonment: Lessons from Mediating the Syria Conflict

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy / Spring 2026

The ruins of failed negotiations, committees, and conferences on the Syrian issue can offer guidance to future peacemakers.

One Alliance, Two Wars: Why Israel and America Diverge on Iran

By Jagannath Panda / Summer 2026

While strategically interdependent, their ambitions and long-term mapping of Iran strategy do deviate, ultimately drawing red lines between them

The Axis of Resistance and Shifting Gulf Alliances—with Dr. Hamidreza Azizi: CR Amplified ep. 9

By Abigail Flynn / Summer 2026

How has the recent U.S.-Israel war on Iran shifted the balance of power in the Middle East? Dr. Hamidreza Azizi joins CR Amplified to discuss the restructuring of the Axis of Resistance, the fracturing alliances of the Gulf States, and Iran’s long-term strategy for regional deterrence

It All Started with “Standing with the People of Iran”

By Kourosh Ziabari /

The international community must move beyond the tantalizing rhetoric of solidarity and vows of support to something actionable—an extension of pathways to global integration for Iranians

The Global South’s Right to Industrialize—On Its Own Terms

By Nada Elkamary and Sami Shaheen /

For decades, the Global North has exclusively set the agenda for global development. It’s high time this changed

Iran and Egypt Now Have An Opportunity to Rebalance the Middle East

By Nanis Fahmy and Seyed Hossein Mousavian /

As the war continues, cooperation between Tehran and Cairo could build a foundation for a more stable regional arrangement

Internet Influencers and the Far-Right—with Dr. Scott Burnett: CR Amplified ep. 8

Winter 2026

How did internet self-help culture and the online manosphere evolve into a pipeline for modern fascism? Dr. Scott Burnett joins CR Amplified to revisit the historical roots, neoliberal anxieties, and global impact of right-wing influencer culture.

Cruel Capitalism and the Rise of the Right—with Dr. AJ Bauer and Dr. Paula Chakravartty: CR Amplified ep. 7

Winter 2026

How did Silicon Valley’s “cool capitalism” and alternative media evolve into an engine for modern authoritarianism? Dr. AJ Bauer and Dr. Paula Chakravartty join CR Amplified to unpack the political economy, media strategies, and global impact of the new American right.

Black Sea Shockwaves: Ukraine War Still Impacts Global South

By Klara Vlahčević Lisinski /

From grain blockades to arms markets, Russia’s invasion has reshaped food security, diplomacy, and power across the Global South

Minnesota’s Perfect ICE Storm

By Zoe Carver / Winter 2026

As Minneapolis once again becomes the center of national protests, a dive into the state’s recent history of racial tensions and police violence reveals just why the North Star City has come head-to-head with the executive branch

The Dynamics of War, Politics, and Peace in the Middle East

By Paul Salem / Spring 2026

The justifications, enactments, and conclusions of the various conflicts that arose in the aftermath of October 7 remain murky, but historical and modern theories of war light a path toward future stability.

Of Bombs and Regime Change: Experts Weigh the Israel-U.S. Strategy on Iran

Both the Americans and Israelis have for decades sought to topple the Islamic Republic. With Khamenei assassinated by Israeli bombing, is the end game near?

From Vietnam to Campus Encampments & Anti-Ice Protests: A Legal History of Federal Cases On Student First Amendment Rights

By Jacob Blau / Winter 2026

Students who have been silenced for their participation in recent protests should be aware of a deep legal history that has seen federal courts grapple with and protect the concept of student free speech

When European Semi-Fascism and Israeli Occupation Converge

By Erwin van Veen / Winter 2026

Semi-fascist parties in Europe support the exclusionary politics of Israel’s ultra-nationalists and ultra-religionists, raising concerns about their own plans once in office

Fascism in Football: How the Beautiful Game Turned Ugly

By Gabriele Cosentino / Winter 2026

Far-right politics have found mainstream attention among Italian football fans

Iran at a Strategic Breaking Point

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy /

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

Using Sex to Sell Racism: How AfD Policies Defy Logic

By Dagmar Herzog / Winter 2026

The sexual politics of the new far-right parties like the Alternative für Deutschland are full of deliberate contradictions and obvious echoes of Nazism

Critical Education in the Age of Trump’s Fascist Politics

By Henry A. Giroux / Winter 2026

To protect democracy, the classroom must remain a space of freedom, not fear

The Banality of a Public Race for the Nobel Peace Prize

By Kourosh Ziabari /

Donald Trump’s year-long campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize was not just impractical, unrealistic, or outrageous. It showed a clear disregard for the rules of the Nobel Foundation

U.S. Jazz Diplomacy—with James Ketterer: CR Amplified ep. 6

By Judi Yassin /

How did jazz evolve into an unlikely diplomatic force for the United States? Professor James Ketterer joins CR Amplified to revisit the history, tensions, and global impact of jazz diplomacy

What’s New Is Old: The Enduring Challenge of Non-State Armed Actors in the Post-October 7 Landscape

By Grace Wermenbol / Spring 2026

While these groups may not have the resources or structure of traditional states, they play a major role in the continuation, or cessation, of conflict in the region.

Rebuilding from Rubble: The Future of Gaza

By Abigail Flynn / Spring/Summer 2025

Amid the dust and rubble, the new ceasefire offers relief to a war-ravaged Gaza; hope remains for a bright future in the Strip as questions surface of the role civil servants formerly employed by Hamas will play in governance

Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown

Fall 2025

The most recent ceasefire deal proposed by the U.S. president makes big promises, but can it deliver?

Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

By Raphael Cohen-Almagor / Fall 2025

Building a new future for Israelis and Palestinians will require flexibility, compromise, and dedication from both sides as well as the international community

Caught in the Crossfire: Jordan’s Balancing Act in the Iran-Israel Conflict

By Francesca Maria Lorenzini and Kourosh Ziabari / Fall 2025

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

By Erwin van Veen / Fall 2025

Both states have violated international law and instigated regional chaos

Confederative Futures and the Burden of Leadership in Israel/Palestine

By Klara Vlahčević Lisinski / Fall 2025

The pathway to recognition of Palestinian Statehood does not require the world’s approval through the raising of 192 flags; rather, it requires convincing “one state only—the state of Israel”

What Palestinian Statehood Must Mean to Mean Anything

By Omar Auf / Fall 2025

As more governments prepare to recognize Palestine this September, the gesture risks being performative unless matched with concrete policies such as sanctions and legal obligations, and a decolonial vision of statehood that challenges occupation at its roots

Ending the War In Gaza: What Must Be Done Now

By Gershon Baskin / Fall 2025

Israel’s military juggernaut will not be stopped in Gaza without significant international pressure and a range of conditional sanctions

From Symbolic Victories to a People’s Victory: How Gaza Forged Global Recognition of Palestine

By Ramzy Baroud / Fall 2025

A story of two tracks: the symbolic quest for a state and the daily reality of a people fighting for their existence

On World Refugee Day, the World Must Help Correct the Historic Injustice Against Palestinian Refugees

By Ola G. El-Taliawi /

Since 1948, the international community has offered little more than hand-wringing and humanitarian aid when it comes to the plight of Palestinian refugees. The global community must recognize that return is not a threat to peace, but a precondition for it

Gamechanger or Fantasy? Trump’s Evolving Middle East Strategy

By Carla Dondera and Gedaliah Afterman /

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

By Ali Fathollah-Nejad / Spring/Summer 2025

Progress toward a potential nuclear deal between the United States and Iran stalls, amid a high-stakes process for Tehran and others

Silicon Borders: The Global Justice of AI Infrastructure

By Johannes Himmelreich / Spring/Summer 2025

Washington uses ‘chokepoints’ to restrict global access to AI development, but this approach may threaten U.S. national security while creating significant moral dilemmas

A Costly Illusion of Control: No Winners, Many Losers in U.S.-China AI Race

By Paul Triolo / Spring/Summer 2025

The aggressive U.S. approach to China risks triggering conflict between the two nations while upending any progress to a global framework for AI safety and security

Who are Palestine’s Overlooked Refugees? Investigating Stateless Palestinians in Jordan

By Francesca Maria Lorenzini /

Stateless Palestinian refugees originally from Gaza who now live in Jordan face a precarious legal and economic situation as they lack adequate support systems. Scant attention is paid to their struggles

Longer Sticks and Shorter Carrots: How the U.S. is Changing its Engagement in MENA

By Amr Adly / Winter 2025

The United States’ approach to achieving international hegemony is shifting away from trade and investments back toward bombs and missiles

The View from Africa Before and After the U.S. Elections—Q&A with Mark Deets

By Omar Auf / Winter 2025

Trump’s re-election brought massive changes to many aspects of the United States and the world. What led to Trump regaining the presidency? What will the reverberations look like in West Africa? Omar Auf sat with historian Mark Deets to find out

The Consequences and Prospects of Israel’s Ban of UNRWA

By Jørgen Jensehaugen and Kjersti G. Berg and Lex Takkenberg / Winter 2025

As the UN agency’s operations continue to be obstructed, its outright ban will continue the perpetuation of severe human suffering and have multidimensional ramifications, from illegality on the international level to political considerations regarding the tenuous ceasefire

Syria Remains at a Dangerous Crossroads

By Jacob Blau /

The recent removal of Bashar al-Assad’s regime creates two divergent paths for Syria, one of freedom, and the other that embodies an all too familiar authoritarian style of governance