Latest Articles about Middle East

BeiDou And Strategic Advancements in PRC Space Navigation

Executive Summary: BeiDou enhances both the PRC’s strategic autonomy and its influence across the world. It has signed agreements with numerous countries to expand its use, including for military applications. An interoperability agreement with the US government diminishes the strategic value of GPS by eliminating... MORE

Russia’s Asia Pivot Meets With Iran’s Eurasian Tilt

Executive Summary Iran’s supply of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles to Russia is unprecedented, further diminishing any room for rapprochement between the West and Tehran. Tehran and Moscow’s military cooperation has been steadily growing and is nearing a formal alliance. The new interstate treaty will shape bilateral... MORE

Iranian-Russian Alliance Deepens Amid Global Conflicts

Executive Summary: Iran and Russia have steadily strengthened their bilateral cooperation over the past couple of years, primarily based on the destruction of common adversaries, a shared ideological alignment, and expanded military collaboration. Tehran and Moscow have intensified their arms trade and technical assistance on... MORE

Brief: Pro-Hamas Attackers in North America Remain Haphazard

Executive Summary Globally, recent alleged Hamas-inspired attacks have lacked sophistication compared to past IS attacks or white nationalist shooters over the past decade. Even so, "lone wolves" motivated by news from Gaza pose an unpredictable threat. Recent examples of this include the several assaults that... MORE

Russia’s Vision for Dominance in the Middle East Suffers Under Conflict

Executive Summary: The US airstrike targeting terrorist bases in Iraq and Syria challenges Russia's Middle East dominance, prompting Moscow to reassess its strategic ties, especially with Israel. Moscow's unequivocal pro-Palestinian stance overlooks regional dynamics, alienating key players like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who oppose Hamas.... MORE

Jaish al-Adl and the Persistent Hostilities between Iran and Pakistan

Executive Summary Following a week of hostility after tit-for-tat missile and air strikes, Iran and Pakistan have deescalated tensions and normalized relations, though Jaish al-Adl—the proximate cause for the recent crisis—remains an active threat to regional stability. Jaish al-Adl is an anti-Shia Islamist militant group... MORE

Israeli End Goals in Gaza: A Palestinian Expulsion?

Executive Summary Nearly all of Gaza's 2.2 million people have been displaced by the current conflict, with Israel potentially considering “voluntary” resettlement plans for the Gazan population. Various Israeli officials have proposed several such plans for the removal of Gazans to other nations like the... MORE

Armenia Plans to Use Iranian Ports to Reach India

Executive Summary: Iran has granted Armenia access to its Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports to facilitate Yerevan’s trade access to India. The proposed east-west transit route will serve as a supplemental component of the International North-South Transport Corridor in facilitating greater regional trade. Armenia has... MORE