Swiss Play Role in Easing Tensions Between Saudi and Iran
The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced on Oct. 25 that it had reached an agreement with Riyadh and Tehran to represent Iranian consular interests in Saudi […] More
Middle East
Russia Woos Riyadh in Bid to Undercut U.S. Global Role
There is little doubt that Putin’s foreign policy centers on reviving Russia as a major international power, which seeks to undermine the global American alliance […] More
Network Take: ‘Good News’ Lurks Beneath Saudi Shakeup
On Saturday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the arrests of dozens of ministers and other members of Riyadh’s elite, as part of a […] More
Royal Reshuffle and Yemen Missile Strike Threaten Saudi Stability
Another shakeup atop the Saudi royal family, coupled with an escalation in the war in Yemen, has paved the way for the Saudi heir to […] More
Visas Resume Between U.S. and Turkey After Ankara’s Promises
Limited visa services will resume between the United States and Turkey after they were halted last month following the arrest of a U.S. consulate employee […] More
With No End In Sight, Gulf Blockade Nudges Qatar Closer to Iran
Nearly five months on, the “crisis” between Qatar and a coalition of nine countries led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has reached […] More
Oil, Extortion Still Paying Off for ISIS
As ISIS loses territory across Syria and Iraq, its capacity to generate revenue has declined drastically. Nonetheless, ISIS continues to profit from its oil industry, […] More
“Savvy” ISIS Will Overcome Cash Crunch & Come Back
ISIS is rapidly losing territory across Syria and Iraq and, as a result, is suffering significant financial setbacks. Yet ISIS remains driven by its goal […] More
With Coffers Draining, ISIS May Seek Donations & Step Up Crime
Once billed the richest terrorist group in history, ISIS’ revenue streams are drying up, which may force it to rely more heavily on criminal enterprises […] More
Palestinian Peace: “Mission Impossible or Maybe Mission Implausible”
In an important display of unity, the two distinct Palestinian governments, the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which oversees the Gaza […] More
Palestinian Unity Efforts ‘One Incident from Falling Apart’
Despite the recent agreement reached on October 12 between the two rival Palestinian governments, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas, much work remains to be […] More
Palestinian Authority & Hamas: Peace at last?
After years of failed mediation efforts, the elusiveness of Palestinian unity may have finally come to an end. Throughout the last decade, Palestinian politics have […] More
Political Leadership of Iraqi Kurdistan in Tatters
The Kurdistan Regional Government is already suffering international blowback from its independence referendum, and now some Kurds are calling for the ouster of those who […] More
‘The Enemy is Everywhere’: Afghans Mourn Dead As Attacks Mount
KABUL, Afghanistan – On an otherwise ordinary Friday evening, a stranger entered the Imam Zaman mosque in West Kabul, just as worshippers were completing the evening […] More
Iraq Ambassador Accuses Kurds of Kirkuk ‘Disinformation’ Campaign
Iraq’s top diplomat in Washington, D.C., cried foul Friday over Kurdish government charges that Iran backed Iraq’s campaign to retake Kirkuk. “The KRG has been […] More
The U.S. Must Fulfill Role of Negotiator Between Baghdad, Kurds
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi published an op-ed in the New York Times on Wednesday, denouncing the “illegal” referendum held by the Kurdistan Regional […] More
ISIS Threat Persists Even As Capital Slips from its Grasp
The end is near for the battle for Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIS’s self-declared caliphate, but the terrorist group still has ways of […] More
Inequality Is Sewn Into the Map of Iraq
This September, voters in the territories controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly to declare independence from the central government […] More