Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis
SyriaSecurity and Defense
Turkey, Israel, and the Struggle over Syria’s New Order
Oct 14, 2026Salim Çevik
Israel’s August 18, 2026, airstrike on the Abu al-Dhuhour airbase, about 70 kilometers from the Turkish border, marked a new escalation in Turkish-Israeli comp…
Policy Analysis
OmanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
No Power Can Master Hormuz: Oman and the Politics of Maritime Interdependence
Oct 5, 2026Amal Ghazal
For centuries, empires and regional powers have fought over the Strait of Hormuz, occupying its islands, fortifying its ports, taxing its commerce, and policin…
Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and Defense
How Smaller GCC States Are Navigating the Mecca Defense Agreement
Oct 1, 2026Giorgio Cafiero
The recent recommencement of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, raises important questions abou…
Collective Analysis
The Arab WorldEducation and Development
UNGA 2026: War, Diplomacy, and the Middle East’s Changing Order
Sep 28, 2026Nur Arafeh Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Negar Mortazavi Yousef Munayyer Daniel Neep
Nearly 130 world leaders attended the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held in New York from September 22 to 2…
Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldRegional Relations and Geopolitics
What the Iran War Reveals about China’s Middle East Strategy
Sep 22, 2026Andrea Ghiselli
On September 24, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet President Donald Trump for the second time since the start of the US-Israeli war on Ira…
Policy Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Turkey and Iraq’s Emerging Partnership in a Changing Regional Order
Aug 26, 2026Salim Çevik
Turkey-Iraq relations have undergone a significant transformation over the past two years. For much of the post-2003 period, relations between Ankara and Baghd…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaSecurity and Defense
Diversification Without Substitution: What the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement Offers Saudi Arabia
Aug 19, 2026The Unit for Political Studies
Despite the headlines, the Mecca agreement is unlikely to produce a real military response if an attack happens. Not only has the text of the accord not been m…
Policy Analysis
LebanonRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Neither Iran nor Israel: Saudi Arabia’s Vision for Lebanon
Jul 28, 2026Giorgio Cafiero
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)’s recent reaffirmation of support for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun underscores an increasingl…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Limiting the Damage: Saudi Arabia and the Islamabad Memorandum
Jun 24, 2026The Unit for Political Studies
The war affected Saudi Arabia and further complicated its economic diversification plans, which were already facing setbacks. Iranian missiles and drones hit s…
Policy Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Iraq’s Kurdistan Region After the Iran War
Jun 9, 2026Patricia Karam
The US-Israeli war on Iran has spilled over into other countries, including neighboring Iraq. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has been highly exposed to the confl…
Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Middle East after the Iran War: Between Order and Chaos
May 6, 2026Nabeel A. Khoury
For a president who has so often signaled his wish for a Nobel Peace Prize, Donald Trump has resorted to military force with remarkable frequency in the 15 mon…
Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The GCC States and the War on Iran: Rethinking Responses to Unwanted Consequences
Mar 19, 2026Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Four years and four days after President Vladimir Putin committed an act of aggression by launching the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United Stat…