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The new wave of normalization in Turkey’s Middle East foreign policy
Photo by Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The new wave of normalization in Turkey’s Middle East foreign policy

    In the past several weeks, news has been coming out of Ankara regularly about normalization in relations with countries with which Turkey has had problematic relationships for some time.

    April 27, 2021

    The Roadblocks to a Regional Security Dialogue in the Middle East
    Photo by EU Delegation in Vienna via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The Roadblocks to a Regional Security Dialogue in the Middle East

    It’s easy to see why there’s an enduring attraction for a regional security dialogue in the Middle East. Countries in the region face shared and borderless challenges — including terrorism, insurgency, environmental safety, arms races, cybersecurity, maritime piracy, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction — that can be dealt with more effectively through multilateral measures.

    April 26, 2021

    Making sense of the Iran-China strategic agreement
    Photo by Pool/Iranian Presidency/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • Making sense of the Iran-China strategic agreement

    The 25-year agreement between Iran and China that made headlines this past month is far from new. It was first announced in 2016 during a state visit by President Xi Jinping to Tehran, at a time when sanctions on Iran were being lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. Chinese and Iranian officials have been working out the details of the deal ever since as part of a slow process of consultation and negotiations. The timing of the latest announcement about the agreement is, therefore, less about developments in relations between Beijing and Tehran and more about the fast-deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington. China is looking to identify areas where it can cultivate leverage, and Iran is a prime opportunity.

    What does the transition in Chad mean for Middle Eastern regional powers?
    (Photo by Christophe PETIT TESSON / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
  • Analysis
  • What does the transition in Chad mean for Middle Eastern regional powers?

    On April 20, Chadian President Idriss Déby was killed by Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) rebels in the country’s northwestern Tibesti region. The sudden death of Déby, who seized power in Chad via a military coup in December 1990 and was re-elected on April 11 with 79.3% of the vote, risks plunging Chad into a state of prolonged instability.

    April 26, 2021

    The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast
  • The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

    Marvin Weinbaum and David Sedney join host Alistair Taylor to discuss the recently announced U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and what it means for the country, the U.S., and the region as a whole.

    April 23, 2021

    Failing to learn from past mistakes, Pakistan caves to the TLP
  • Analysis
  • Failing to learn from past mistakes, Pakistan caves to the TLP

    The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has exposed the Pakistani state’s vulnerability to ultra-conservative Islamist groups that have been mainstreamed for narrow political and strategic purposes by the country’s security establishment and self-serving politicians. Only a week after declaring the TLP a terrorist group and banning it, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government gave in to the group’s demands in the face of violent protests by its supporters

    April 22, 2021

    Preventing a miscalculation between the US and Israel on Iran
    Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • Preventing a miscalculation between the US and Israel on Iran

    The U.S.-Israel relationship is a close partnership founded on shared national security interests as well as democratic values. Washington’s commitment to the security and wellbeing of the state of Israel is exceptional, and bilateral ties remain strong despite the erosion of support for Israel among progressive and isolationist circles in the U.S. In spite of all this, the Iran issue presents many pitfalls for miscalculation that could derail even the most well-intended efforts at formulating a coordinated U.S.-Israel strategy.

    April 21, 2021

    Biden challenged to fortify US power in the Gulf
    Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • Biden challenged to fortify US power in the Gulf

    In the 19th century, the Gulf was a British lake. In the 20th century, American warships played an all but unchallenged role securing the safe and unfettered passage of oil to the West. As the 21st century progresses, the transition to a new era is unstoppable.

    April 20, 2021

    Israel, Palestine & the Role of Congress
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast
  • Israel, Palestine & the Role of Congress

    Khaled Elgindy and Lara Friedman discuss the public launch of their congressional teach-in series, “Israel-Palestine: Where We Are, What Comes Next, and Why It Matters to Congress.” The series of webinars features an array of American, Palestinian, Israeli, and international experts on topics dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. policy.

    April 8, 2021