The Israeli Interest in Ending the Blockade of Qatar

12 Feb 202120 Jul 2021

Posted originally to Antiwar.com on 12 February 2020. Jared Kushner’s role in the recent Qatar-GCC normalization is arguably its most noteworthy aspect. Given his profile and the context of his key role…

Is Eurasian integration Israel’s answer to strategic deadlock in the Levant?

26 Dec 202014 Jun 2021

Posted originally to The Tehran Times on 26 December 2020. Making US Middle East policy near-indistinguishable from its own had certain immediate advantages for Israel, but long-term caveats. The bonus…

Why the Gulf Arab States Are Tailor-Made Allies for Israel

19 Aug 202014 Jun 2021

Posted originally to Antiwar.com on 19 August 2019. Israel-GCC ties were strategic even before the first official Israel-GCC diplomatic normalization took place recently with the UAE. For Israel, the mode…

Deciphering Iran’s declaration of support for Turkey’s allies in Libya

29 Jun 202019 Jun 2021

Posted originally to Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI) on 29 June 2020. Iran’s recent statement of support to the Turkish-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) may come as a surprise…

Yemen’s Houthis and the ‘Iran versus Saudi Arabia’ false binary

3 Jun 202019 Jun 2021

Posted originally to Strafasia on 2 June 2020. Notably in Pakistan, the notion of a regional ‘Iran versus Saudi Arabia’ struggle for influence is a popular framework adhered to by…

The Houthis: A new challenge to Israel’s interests in the Red Sea region and Arabian Peninsula

18 May 20207 Jul 2020

Posted originally to Press TV on 18 May 2020. Over five years and billions of dollars’ worth of imported weaponry have gone to waste for Saudi Arabia in its war…

How a Subtle Turkey-Iran Entente is Helping Iran Secure a Firm Presence in Syria

18 Apr 202019 Jun 2021

Posted originally to MintPress News on 24 February 2020 as Part 3 of a 3 Part series on the evolved geopolitical scenario in Syria. In stark contrast to their positions…

Russia and Iran’s Clashing Visions for Syria’s Future

18 Apr 202030 Nov 2020

Posted originally to MintPress News on 7 February 2020 as part of a 3-Part series on the evolved geopolitical scenario in Syria. Rivals of the West in their own right,…

Wealthy Gulf States Plan to Spend Big to Coax Syria Away from Iran

18 Apr 202029 Jun 2020

Posted originally to MintPress News on 31 January 2020 as Part 1 of a 3-Part Series on the evolved geopolitical scenario in Syria. Since the dawn of the 2011 Syrian…

Erdogan’s Idlib misadventure: Reality checks and hard lessons for Turkey

3 Apr 202018 Apr 2020

Posted originally to MintPress News on 3 April 2020. Even when viewed through the prism of Turkish interests, President Tayyib Erdogan’s escalatory actions in Syria’s Idlib governorate constitute now plainly…