Why Iran Never Knows When to Stop
Shukriya BradostAt first glance, Iran’s negotiating difficulties appear to stem from disagreements between pragmatists seeking sanctions...
Iraq’s Corruption Crackdown
*A breakdown of arrested parliamentarians and senior officials as of June 28, 2026.
Sheikh Hamad and the Making of Modern Qatar
Dr. Abdulla Banndar Al-EtaibiThere is a question that haunts every small state: how does a nation survive and...
The Legacy of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani: Expert Perspectives
Gulf International ForumWith the passing of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir...
Iraq’s Armed Factions and the Logic of Survival
Hiba AbdulwahhabIraq has long offered fertile ground for armed groups operating outside state authority. The Mahdi...
Compromise or Resistance? Iran’s Elite Divide Over the War
Dr. Arman MahmoudianFor millennia, polarization has been a defining feature of politics. Wherever a political position exists,...
What Ali al-Zaidi Won’t Bring to Iraq
Dr. Massaab Al-AloosyAfter an American veto brought down the nomination of Nouri Al-Maliki to the Iraqi premiership,...
Sovereignty Without Control: Iraq’s Dual Power Crisis in a Regional War
Hiba AbdulwahhabSince the outbreak of the Iran-U.S.-Israel war in late February 2026, Iraq has found itself...
The Kurdish Bargain: Elite Politics and Federalism in the Kurdistan Region ...
Dr. Shahla Al KliThe power-sharing architecture between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan...
The Impact of Leadership Loss in Iran
Dr. Banafsheh KeynoushThe most recent round of military strikes by Israel and the United States has targeted...
Mojtaba Khamenei’s Iran and the Politics of Succession
Dr. Luciano ZaccaraThe death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not launched a political transition in Iran. Instead,...
The Islamic Republic and the Authoritarian Playbook
Dr. Massaab Al-AloosyAt a conference on Iranian-Arab relations in Doha before he became foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi...