This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests.
Rebecca Anne Proctor is an independent journalist, editor, author, and broadcaster based in Dubai and Rome, from where she covers the Middle East and North Africa. She is the former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Art and Harper’s Bazaar Interiors.
Senior Iranian Military Official: Liberation of Mosul Sounded “Death Knell” for U.S. Plots
A senior Iranian military official said on Tuesday that the liberation of the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State sounded “the death knell for the divisive plots” of the United States and its regional allies, the Iranian media reported.
Top Iranian Cleric Says Iran Strongest Power in Region, Hurdle to America’s Ambitions
Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi has said that Iran’s military presence in Iraq and Syria prevents the United States from dominating the Middle Eastern region,
Trump-Putin Meeting a Potential Game Changer for Syria
The long-awaited meeting of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump finally took place on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, which came at a time of cool relations between Washington and Moscow.
Despite ongoing tensions, the two powers appeared to embrace a constructive approach to their first meeting, focusing on issues where progress is possible, such as Syria.
Syrian Peace Negotiations at a Standstill | Monday Briefing
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Randa Slim, Charles Lister, and Mabrouka M’Barek provide analysis on the progress of ongoing negotiations over peace in Syria, rising tensions in Idlib province between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham, and Tunisia’s lobbying efforts to ensure continued U.S. aid.
With Islamic State Crumbling, Iran and Its Proxies in Iraq Intensify Anti-U.S. Propaganda
A commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) – also known as Hashd al-Shaabi – has said that the paramilitary forces will not agree to the presence of American forces or foreign private security firms in post-Islamic State Iraq, particularly in regions near the Syrian border. “The central government has almost agreed to Blackwater controlling the borders. But Blackwater doesn’t have the authority and resources to control the borders or fight Daesh [Islamic State].
Iran and North Korea Call for Expansion of Ties to Confront America
The head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has called for further expansion of bilateral ties between Iran and North Korea.
Iran Says U.S.-Russia Ceasefire Could Be Successful Only If Expanded to All Syria
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that the latest agreement between the United States and Russia on a ceasefire mechanism in southern Syria could be successful only if it is expanded to all of Syria, the Iranian media reported today. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi told a press conference in Tehran that the agreement should complement four other de-escalation zones that had already been decided upon at the Astana summit by Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria.
Amid all the accusations being traded recently against each other by Gulf Arab states some truths are getting lost in the smoke.
It has been true that Qatar has served as a sanctuary for leaders of groups that the U.S. or other countries deem to be terrorist organizations. That, however, is nothing new. It has been going on for at least 20 years — and one of those who had sanctuary was the mastermind of the 9-11 attacks.
Head of I.R.G.C.’s Khatam al-Anbia Blasts Rouhani’s Economic Policies, Deal with Total
The commander of Khatam al-Anbia Construction Headquarters, a conglomerate of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.), blasted President Hassan Rouhani’s economic policies and said he “harbors a serious grievance against the Rouhani government.” In an interview with Iran’s state-run television, Gene
I.R.G.C. Seizes Saudi Boat, Detains Four Crew Members
The naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Crops (I.R.G.C.) have seized a Saudi vessel for allegedly trespassing on Iranian territorial waters, the Iranian media reported today. Majid Agha-Babaei, the director-general of border affairs at Iran’s Interior Ministry, said I.R.G.C.
Protestors in Southern Afghanistan Chant Anti-Iran Slogans after Rouhani’s Water Remarks
Earlier today, hundreds of people marched the streets of Lashkargah, the capital of Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand Province, to protest Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s latest remarks on water dispute with Afghanistan, the Afghan media reported. Speaking at an international conference on tackling dust storm, Rouhani had criticized the Afghan government and its international allies for constructing dams and preventing the flow of sufficient water into Iran.
Yemen War and Qatar Crisis Challenge Oman’s Neutrality
Living on the periphery of the tumultuous Middle East, Omanis do not take their security for granted. Oman has been free of violent unrest since the Sultanate crushed the Dhofar Rebellion in 1976. Yet Oman is situated in a dangerous neighborhood, and the Arab Gulf country is not immune to transregional threats.
Jakarta’s Political Turmoil: Post-storm Thoughts on the Moderate Muslim Mainstream
Jakarta, the hub of Indonesian politics, was caught in the eye of a storm when a series of massive protests erupted, calling for the prosecution of the ethnic Chinese Christian Governor Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama for allegedly having committed blasphemy against Islam. What do these developments, together with Ahok’s subsequent defeat for reelection and criminal conviction, signify or portend for Indonesia’s formative values and democratic consolidation? To what extent has the country’s “moderate Muslim mainstream” stepped up to the challenge represented by these events? This essay addresses these questions.
