The coalition government in the United Kingdom during the years 2010-2015 had a cautious approach to Iraq and later Syria. The legacy of the invasion in 2003 and the Bush/Blair alliance led to the UK public being averse to foreign intervention, and the financial crisis of 2008 meant that...
Yassin Majeed, Researcher and writer in regional affairs
Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Iran on the 23rd of November 2015 is considered an exceptional political event in light of international and regional transformations. What increased the importance of the visit, which is the second visit of President Putin to...
The EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CSFP) is chaired and represented by the High Representative, who embodies a unified, common voice for otherwise disparate EU member states. The High Representative is assisted by the European External Action Service (EEAS), a structurally and financially independent arm which ensures consistency across the different activities the EU performs abroad through its numerous arms with external...
The civil war in Syria has exceeded its fourth year, as the conflict continues bloodier, crueller and destructive than before. No indications in the horizon to the Syrians and the world, the fate of things in the country, and its fate, or which is the party that will be...
The next President of the United States will take office in January 2017 and will likely preside over a “make-or-break” moment in U.S.-Iraqi relations. The presidential contenders will all advocate a more aggressive campaign against Da’esh in Iraq and most of them support an effort to reduce Iranian influence in Iraq as well,...
At 12.30pm on Friday 8 May 2015 the Conservative Party leader and current UK Prime Minister David Cameron entered Buckingham Palace to meet with Queen Elizabeth II. She asked two simple questions: ‘do you have the confidence of parliament’ and ‘do you intend to form the next government’ and...
The Saudi monarch, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, in a sudden step decided to conduct fundamental changes affected his government. Where, according to Saudi Press Agency, has issued Royal orders that bear radical changes at the level of governance in Saudi Arabia.
King Salman’s Royal orders included the removal of his...
The recent negotiations between P5+1 and Iran were conducted at an accelerated and optimistic pace. Both engaged parties entered into expectant stages so as to reach a compromise after years of stagnated negotiations, which was brokered by the framework agreement of Lausanne, which in turn ought to be concluded...
To mark the Persian New Year of Nowruz, President Obama released a video greeting to the Iranian people. “For decades, our nations have been separated by mistrust and fear,” he said. “Now it is early spring. We have a chance—a chance—to make progress that will benefit our countries, and the...
