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Ali Shamkhani and the Purge of the “Old Guard”
Politics & GovernanceAli Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Iranian National Security Council, is widely considered a pillar...

Kuwait Parliamentary Elections: Rethinking the Meaning of “Opposition”
Politics & GovernanceAs Kuwaitis prepare to go to the polls on June 6th for the country’s second...

Slow, but Persistent: Russia’s Overseas Basing Strategy in the Red Sea an...
Defense & SecurityEncapsulated between the Mediterranean and the northwestern Indian Ocean, the Red Sea has struggled to...

The Tragedy of Tehran
Politics & GovernancePerched on the foothills of the Alborz Mountains and home to 9.5 million residents, Tehran...

Perspectives: Turkey-Gulf Relations in Erdoğan’s Next Term
GeopoliticsTurkey and Saudi Arabia: A “Manageable Competition” Sinem Cengiz Non-Resident Fellow, Gulf International Forum; Research...

China’s Gulf Diplomacy and the Future of Taiwan
GeopoliticsAs tensions between China and the United States mount over Taiwan, Beijing has been actively...

The Saudi-Iranian Rapprochement Shapes Azerbaijan’s Balancing Act
GeopoliticsNumerous geopolitical, economic, and security factors have influenced Azerbaijan’s foreign policy decisions throughout the country’s...

Iran’s Ruling Hardliners: EU is Strategically Irrelevant
GeopoliticsIran’s relations with European governments in general—and particularly with the troika of France, Britain, and...

Reflecting on the Turkey-Qatar Partnership, Fifty Years Later
GeopoliticsIn 2023, Turkey and Qatar are to celebrate 50 years of full diplomatic ties, providing...

Examining Iran’s Geopolitical Goals in the Western Sahara Conflict
GeopoliticsSince the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Tehran sided with the Polisario Front...

The Escalating Iran-Azerbaijan Tension: Impact the South Caucasus and Beyon...
Defense & SecurityThe deteriorating relations between Iran and Azerbaijan garner significant attention, raising concerns about the potential...

China’s Yemen Diplomacy and a Multipolar Gulf
GeopoliticsSince it first emerged as an economic powerhouse in the 1990s and early 2000s, China...