Middle East & North Africa

Membership in BRICS and the SCO strengthens the “Look East” camp in Iran but it remains to be seen what tangible benefits membership can provide given Western economic sanctions

The lucrative nature of the VPN business has fed speculation about the involvement of influential people and institutions in Iran

While conflict between Iran and Israel seems intractable, historical examples of cooperation and Track II dialogues may ease future tensions

In cutting ties with Sweden, Iraqi PM Sudani prevented populist leader Moqtada al-Sadr from using the Quran burning for political purposes

Expanding the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia is unlikely to foster regional peace and goes against a trend of détente with Iran

Turkish President Erdogan has shown an ability to pivot and shore up regional and transatlantic relations when confronting dire economic problems, many of them self-inflicted.

Cancelling the deal would require substantial compensation costs and damage what has been a steadily growing alliance between Iran and Russia.

The contest between Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia over natural resources in the northwestern Persian Gulf shows that Iran-Arab reconciliation could be a slow and fraught process