Middle East & North Africa
Op-ed: Red Sea Disruption Turns Shipping Route Into Supply Chain Shock
Attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea forced companies to reroute vessels around southern Africa, driving up costs, delaying deliveries and reshaping who gains from one of the world's most important trade corridors. Two years on, traffic is returning, but the vulnerabilities the crisis exposed have not gone away.
Op-ed: The World Economy Withers as The Strait of Hormuz Standoff Continues
Though a temporary ceasefire was reached between the US and Iran on April 8, 2026, the situation in the Persian Gulf remains tense as both the US and Iran imposed blockades on the strait, prolonging the suffering of the global economy.
Op-ed: Kurdish Uprising in Iran: A Struggle for Freedom or a Risky Gamble?
The 2026 War in Iran draws attention to the country’s ethnic Kurdish minority and their struggle for self-rule. Yet, is a foreign supported insurgency the final struggle or the beginning of further chaos?
The Fracture of the Saudi-UAE Alliance in Yemen
The dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council marks a historic rupture between the two Gulf States, and leaves the Iran-backed Houthis in their strongest position since 2014.
Op-ed: When Strategy Trumps Strength: The Effects of Unrestrained Aggression in US Foreign Policy
Iran does not have to win, it merely has to survive. While the U.S. and Israel initiated the war with Iran anticipating a quick victory, Tehran has demonstrated that, despite its weakened odds, its ability to strategize over the long-term is more important than mere strength and capabilities. The U.S. is on a path to setting a dangerous precedent, one where blatantly aggressive foreign policy will result in the abandonment of the U.S. as a reliable global partner.
China Expands Economic and Diplomatic Role in the Middle East
China has increased its presence through investment, energy ties and diplomacy, raising questions about how its role compares to the United States’ longstanding security influence in the region.
Lebanon Confronts Hezbollah as War With Israel Escalates
With the Middle East in crisis, the unstable relationship between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah is exposed, as Hezbollah’s war with Israel raises questions in Beirut.
Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds Buy Into Egypt as Debt Crisis Deepens
Billions in Gulf investment help stabilize Egypt’s economy, but growing ownership of strategic assets raises questions about political leverage in the Middle East.
Op-ed: The Iran War and Its Implications On the Gulf Countries
The US-Israel-Iran war of 2026 saw Iranian forces repeatedly strike targets in the Gulf countries, even though they did not participate in offensive actions on Iran.
Sudan’s Silent Genocide: El Fasher’s Fall and the World’s Muted Response
On October 26, 2025, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured El Fasher, the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) final major stronghold in the western Darfur region. The fighting has devastated the country since 2023: displacing more than 14 million people, killing more than 40,000, and pushing more than 24.6 million people to the brink of famine.
Violence in Syria after clashes between Assad loyalist and the Syrian government sparked a weekend of civil instability
After 13 years of civil conflict, the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad gave Syrians a sense of hope for stability. However, recent attacks led by Assad loyalists threaten the potential to eliminate division within the country.
Could the Rise in Iranian State-Sponsored Executions Provide the Dissent Necessary For A Regime Change?
The steady uptick in Iranian human rights violations has caused public scrutiny and dissent, of which has existed in Iran for decades. However, one must ask, how many more executions have to happen before the public dissatisfaction grows large enough to overthrow the Islamic Republic?
US Turning Its Back on Human Rights: How Leaving the Human Rights Council Damages US-EU and UN relations
In 2018, the Trump administration withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council. US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Nikki R. Haley, highlighted at the June General Assembly that this decision was due to the growing concern that the Human Rights Council was driven by “political bias” rather than humanitarian rights due to the “disproportionate focus and unending hostility towards Israel.”
Syrian Transitional Government and SDF Announce Merger Amid Sectarian Violence and Constitutional Shift
The Syrian Democratic Forces merged with the transitional government amid sectarian violence, as President al-Sharaa signed a five-year interim constitution.
PKK Leader Öcalan Urges the Kurdish Militant Group to Disband
Abdullah Öcalan, the leader and founder of the Kurdistan’s Worker Party (PKK), issued a statement from prison calling for the group to lay down their arms and completely dissolve itself. Öcalan’s comments were read at a news conference in Istanbul by Kurdish lawmakers, who met with the leader earlier. The call to dissolve addresses all branches of the primarily Türkiye-based militant group, including its offshoots in Syria and parts of Iraq and Iran.
Op-Ed: International Silence as Israel Expands its Occupation of Syria While Destroying its Defence Capabilities
The international community remains silent when it comes to Israel’s violations of international law in Syria. The Golan Heights occupation and annexation, as well as the destruction of Syria’s defense capabilities render Syria weak and vulnerable during this time in its governmen’s transition. This elephant in the room has been conveniently ignored at international meetings regarding Syria’s future under HTS. How much longer will Israel continue to evade international law in Syria?
Israel’s Hold on Philadelphi Corridor Rattles Ceasefire
Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor threatens to derail ceasefire negotiations, as humanitarian conditions in Gaza worsen and talks over an extended truce remain stalled.
Global Gateway: The Realities of Morocco’s Renewable Energy Development
Unlike other countries in the MENA region, Morocco is not a gas-producing nor oil-producing country. The North African nation heavily relies on fossil fuel imports to provide energy to its population, with 90 percent of the country’s energy needs for both commercial and residential use met through imported natural gas and other fossil fuels, according to the World Bank.
Ceasefire in Jeopardy as Israel Delays Prisoner Release Amid Controversial Hostage Returns
A dispute over prisoner releases threatens to unravel the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as both sides exchange accusations over hostage mistreatment and ceasefire violations.
Arab Leaders to Meet in Riyadh to Counter Trump’s Gaza Displacement Plan
As the Arab League Summit inches closer, Arab leaders are looking to gather to discuss alternative solutions to Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians out of Gaza.