- Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University
Why other Arab states may be cautious about following the Emirati lead and normalising relations with Israel.
Hostility to Iran’s revolution from both the West and in the region is as virulent now as it was in February 1979.
Russia and Saudi Arabia’s new friendship is bad news for Iran.
Iran is a dangerous mischief-maker in the Middle East – but scrapping the nuclear deal will probably make things worse.
With just 67 words, a British foreign secretary kicked off a hundred years of conflict and displacement.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have butted heads before, but this time seems different.
In the Middle East, tens of millions of young people have few opportunities – and plenty to be angry about.
Islamic State will change tack after Mosul, but Iraq isn’t ready for what comes next.
The effort to take back IS’s biggest prize in Iraq has begun at last. But there’s no shortage of other problems to deal with.
World powers including Russia, the US and Turkey all have a stake in the Syrian conflict – but the networks they rely on for influence are constantly in flux.
The world has singularly failed to find a path forward for Syria – or to stop the Assad government flagrantly violating all efforts to stop the conflict.
Stopping the conflict in Syria means solving a horrible array of intertwined, intractable problems.
The latest attempt to broker a peace in Syria faces even longer odds than previous ones.
Les tensions virulentes entre Riyad et Téhéran sont le dernier avatar d’une rivalité à la fois religieuse et géopolitique qui n’a jamais cessé depuis l’instauration de la Révolution islamique en 1979.
The war of words between the Gulf’s two biggest powers is hotting up, but they’ve been at loggerheads for decades.
Syria and IS may have dominated the news this year, but the Middle East has plenty of other problems on its hands.
The former British PM did not go far enough with his apology.
The desert kingdom has never really figured out what to do about Syria – and time may be running out.
Authoritarianism has failed to keep Egypt stable and secure, but General al-Sisi’s government is nonetheless doubling down.
After months of pressure, the coalition against IS has a new team member. But what are its real motives?
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 27 worshippers at a Shia mosque.
By exploiting weaknesses and divisions, the extremist group has been able to establish a brutal regime in just 12 months.
Two years after the ousting of Egypt’s first democratically elected president, military rule is now firmly entrenched.
Saudi Arabia could wait no longer to try and dampen the flames engulfing Yemen – but it may be too late.
The crucial ballot will take place against a rapidly moving international situation.
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