Trump’s Middle East Policy in Tatters

by Emile Nakhleh The confluence of the Israeli snap elections, the Arab, Muslim, and Gulf Cooperation Council summits in Mecca this past weekend, and the upcoming “Bahrain Workshop” underscores the amateur nature of President Trump’s Middle East policy. The conundrum… Continue Reading

Is Sudan Facing a Counterrevolution?

by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey Protestors’ bodies recovered from the River Nile, which the Sudanese military dumped there, represent a potential end to Sudan’s hard-fought-for revolution. Following weeks of tug-of-war, as Sudan’s protestors tried to seek greater civilian representation in a sovereign… Continue Reading

Shinzo Abe’s Crucial Iran Visit

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Tehran next week to mediate between the United States and Iran, taking center stage in one of the most vexing global issues today threatening international peace and security. Although… Continue Reading

America’s Standard of “Normal Nation” in the Middle East

by Pouya Alimagham On June 2, 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the United States would be willing to engage with Iran as long as “the Iranians…behave like a normal nation.” Aside from the condescension of talking to… Continue Reading

Is Sudan Joining the Anti-Qatar Bloc?

by Giorgio Cafiero Recent clashes between security forces and protestors are destabilizing Sudan two months after ex-president Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s removal from power. Sudan’s transition, which a host of outside actors are working to influence, is not going smoothly. The… Continue Reading