Can Macron’s Iran Initiative Succeed?

by Nader Entessar and Kaveh L. Afrasiabi In the aftermath of the G7 summit, which was marked by the surprise appearance of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the obvious and exceedingly important question is whether President Emmanuel Macron’s (rather… Continue Reading

Libya: Flashpoint in French-Italian Ties

by Giorgio Cafiero One of the important dynamics shaping Libya’s five-year-old civil war is France’s support for General Khalifa Haftar and his forces in the Libyan National Army (LNA). Although officials in Paris generally deny backing Haftar, or remain silent… Continue Reading

EU3: De-Facto Enforcer of U.S. Sanctions against Iran?

by Eldar Mamedov The situation around Iran, which only seemed to be moving inexorably toward a crisis, recently took a slightly more hopeful turn. Multiple international efforts to facilitate de-escalation between the United States and Iran, in addition to both… Continue Reading

What Do European Parliament Elections Mean for the Middle East?

by Eldar Mamedov On May 25-26, voters throughout the European Union’s 28 member states elected the new European Parliament. The elections will determine the bloc’s direction in the next five years and the leadership of the Commission, Council, External Action… Continue Reading

Britain and EU Diverge on Hezbollah

by Ali Rizk In 2008, Britain designated “Hezbollah’s military wing” a terrorist organization, which diverged from the official EU stance. It wasn’t until mid-July 2013 that the EU adopted a similar position following claims that the Lebanese movement was responsible… Continue Reading