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Shahmahmood Miakhel is the Country Director in Afghanistan for the US Institute of Peace (USIP). Prior to that he was a Governance Advisor for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and, from 2003–2005, a Deputy Minister of the Interior in the Government of Afghanistan. In 1994–1995 he worked for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in South and Southeast Afghanistan helping to establish District Rehabilitation Shuras (DRS). He also worked as a reporter for the Pashto service of the Voice of America from 1985–1990.
As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, Iran’s role will continue to be a pivotal question. While Tehran no doubt feels vindicated in its model of armed campaign against Israel, it will likely not seek escalation by confronting Israel and the United States militarily. Instead, Iranian officials seem to consider the war as a moment to elevate Tehran’s image in the Islamic world—and in the global south generally.
Modern Türkiye (the official spelling of Turkey since 2021) sprang like a phoenix from the ashes in 1923, overcoming daunting odds. Its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, had foolishly joined the war with the Central Powers in 1914 and naively thought its Arab subjects would remain loyal, only to have been utterly defeated and then dismembered. A rebellion led by the empire’s most famous war hero and leader, Kemal Ataturk, overthrew the last sultan, rejected an unjust treaty to divide up the country and repelled the occupying Allies. He established a contemporary republic based on popular
Turkey and Iran: Toward an “Axis of Revisionism” amid the war in Gaza?
Hamas’ violent and unexpected Oct. 7 attack on Israel has shaken a fragile regional order in the Middle East. Ankara and Tehran are worried that a stronger U.S. presence in the Middle East is detrimental to their regional interests. The war in Gaza might help close the ranks between Turkey and Iran, yet there are serious limitations to a sustainable alliance between the two countries.
"الأسوأ قادم": الأردن يستعد لتداعيات الحرب بين إسرائيل وحماس
مع دخول الحرب بين إسرائيل وحماس أسبوعها الرابع، تجد المملكة الأردنية نفسها في طليعة الصراع، ويصبح الملك عبد الله الثاني شخصية مركزية في الجهود الدبلوماسية الإقليمية والعالمية الرامية إلى احتواء الصراع. وتستعد المملكة الهاشمية لصراع أوسع نطاقاً وتداعيات متعددة، مع قلة نفوذها وخياراتها السياسية.
Gaza crisis shows Washington badly missing Iran strategy
Washington’s chief concern regarding Israel’s ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza is the risk of regional escalation and Iran’s opening of another front against the Jewish state, which could drag the United States into the war.
The United States has communicated to Tehran the consequences of further Iranian involvement in the conflict, and it has moved additional military assets to the region to boost the credibility of its threats.
On 7 October, Hamas shocked the world, when thousands of its militants invaded southern Israel, taking control of territory, massacring civilians and kidnapping hundreds.
The attack itself demonstrated an unusual level of complexity, with a first wave seeing drones taking out Israeli reconnaissance equipment and observation posts and cyber attacks creating distractions, opening a path for amassed militant incursions from the air, sea and ground.
Israel’s ‘second stage’ ground operation is proof its priorities have changed
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared over the weekend that Israel had embarked on the “second stage” of its war against Hamas in Gaza. What did he mean – and is the Israeli government any closer to its objective of “wiping out” Hamas?
Any swords into ploughshares? The challenge of the current conflict
The only long-term way of building security and stability, and reducing violence for Palestinians and Israelis alike, is to create hope and establish a political pathway for both sides
