![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/region-middle-east.jpg)
Latest Articles about Middle East
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/khamsrallamani-e1569711056798-640x400.jpg)
What’s Next for Hezbollah After Solemeini?
The death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qasem Soleimani has caused aftershocks in the Middle East and farther afield. His assassination was surprising, with U.S. forces taking advantage of Soleimani’s presence in Baghdad to target his convoy with a fatal drone strike. Since... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PashtovoaDOTcom-640x360.jpg)
Its Caspian Sea Trade Cut by US Sanctions, Iran Turns to Railways—and Moscow Helps
The United States’ sanctions against Iran and the unwillingness of most Caspian littoral states to challenge them have sent Tehran’s maritime trade in this sea plummeting over the last two years, reducing its non-petroleum component by half (Financial Tribune, May 27, 2019). But that has... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Sergei-Lavrov-at-Munich-EDM-February-18-2020-640x415.jpg)
Moscow Downplays the Mixed Warnings From Munich
The proceedings of the annual Munich Security Conference always attract keen attention in Moscow, and last weekend (February 14–16) was no exception. The discussions at this high-level forum are indeed highly consequential most years, but Russian interest continues to be stimulated by reflections on Vladimir... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Russia-Africa-summit-EDM-February-12-2020.jpg)
Facing Few Obstacles and Scant Pushback, Russia Keeps Advancing in Africa
According to numerous analyses published by think tanks and journals in the United States and Europe, Russia lost its African adventure before it even started. Purportedly, Russia lacks the resources with which to compete in Africa against the United States and China, acts there in... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/3751FFA6-FA8D-4749-8A69-112F3B9DDA67_cx0_cy13_cw0_w1200_r1_s-640x360.jpg)
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/dc460d8d-839c-4d8d-bcc7-62e7938fabc5-640x360.jpg)
A Piece of a Greater Puzzle: The Libyan Civil War, External Influences and Regional Trends
Over the past few months, diplomatic activism around the Libyan civil war has intensified sharply. Two dynamics drove this process. First, the visible presence of Russian mercenaries fighting alongside the forces of Khalifa Haftar, the eastern-based leader of the Libyan National Army (literal Arabic translation... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/636307-01-05-640x360.jpg)
Qais al-Khazali—The PMU Militia Leader Challenging the U.S. in Iraq
On December 6, the U.S. State Department announced sanctions on three Iraqi militia leaders, accusing them of killing peaceful protesters. The most prominent name among those was Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (The League of the Righteous—AAH) Shia militia (U.S. Department... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Untitled-13-640x400.jpg)
Filling the Void: A Profile of New Quds Force Commander Esmail Ghaani
The death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) Major General and head of the Quds Force Qasem Soleimani has caused significant international and domestic reverberations since he was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on January 3. Internationally, the assassination escalated geopolitical tensions... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Putin-and-Erdgoan-640x495.jpg)
Russian-Turkish Accords Start to Unravel in Libya and in Syria
At a summit in Istanbul, on January 8, 2020—an event officially earmarked to celebrate the beginning of exploitation of the TurkStream natural gas pipeline—Russian President Vladimir Putin and his host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, sat down together to work out ceasefire agreements regarding Libya... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Soleimani-air-strike-EDM-January-28-2020-640x360.jpg)
Iran-US Crisis Spotlights Vulnerabilities Across the South Caucasus
The three countries of the South Caucasus—Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan—found themselves in a precarious situation following the United States’ killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, on January 3, 2020, due to their parallel relationships with both Tehran and Washington. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan offered... MORE