Middle Eastern leaders have learnt not to count on the US
The limits to American geopolitical reach now on show in Afghanistan could yet lead to new ways of wielding power
View ArticleTaliban victory signals a defeat for global jihadism
But western intervention has left countries trapped in despotism, making continued instability likely
View ArticleShifting geopolitics offer glimmer of hope for Lebanon’s new government
The US withdrawal from the region could defuse the rivalries that have played out in the bankrupt state
View ArticleBehind the smiles, competition heats up in the Gulf
Aggressive moves by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to boost their economies could be a zero-sum game
View ArticleAutocracy has filled the ideological vacuum in the Middle East
Even Tunisia, once the cradle of democratic hope in the region, is moving towards one-man rule
View ArticleRecep Tayyip Erdogan meets his match in Biden and Putin
The Turkish ruler’s strongman tactics fail to work on the US and Russia
View ArticleTo govern Iraq effectively, Moqtada al-Sadr must abandon factionalism
Sectarian politics have blighted the country, leaving voters disillusioned with their leaders
View ArticleViolence accelerates Lebanon’s descent into state failure
Clashes in Beirut bode ill for a country where Iran-backed Hizbollah flexes its muscles
View ArticleErdogan’s wrath is damaging Turkey
Turkish president’s persecution of Osman Kavala is personal
View ArticleRich Gulf patrons turn the screws on a bankrupt Lebanon
Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies are losing patience with a state under the shadow of Iran and Hizbollah
View ArticleThe future of Iraq is in the balance
An assassination attempt on the country’s prime minister has raised fresh questions about militias backed by Iran
View ArticleMuammer Gaddafi’s son returns to the political stage
Many Libyans may now wonder: to what conceivable question could Saif al-Islam be the answer?
View ArticleArab leaders weigh normalising relations with Syria’s president
Bashar al-Assad is slowly being brought back into regional diplomatic society
View ArticleNuclear negotiators in Vienna face struggle to resurrect Iran deal
Iranians across the spectrum came to regard the 2015 non-proliferation agreement as a swindle
View ArticleJackals prowl the hills above the new US mega-embassy in Lebanon
The population is drifting away from crisis-hit Beirut, but America persists with its giant construction project
View ArticleAttack on Abu Dhabi risks upsetting a cautious detente in the Gulf
The drone hit shows how Yemen is starting to resemble Syria as a conflict able to radiate mayhem beyond its borders
View ArticleSaad Hariri’s retreat leaves a vacuum in Lebanon
The country is in economic meltdown, facing a ‘deliberate depression’ manufactured by warlords
View ArticleMissile attack on UAE shows Iran is unwilling to compromise
Tehran, boosted in confidence by China, is using Yemen to pursue its own agenda on Israel
View ArticleHistory may finally come knocking for Erdogan
Economic woes boost hopes for Turkey’s opposition to oust the country’s long-serving strongman president
View ArticlePragmatism changes the dialogue in the Middle East
Tentative signs of previously unlikely partnerships emerge in trade, investment and diplomacy
View Article