The unpublished security clauses of the Iran-Saudi deal and its implication on regional and global security

The public statement that announced the deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia contains only the contours of a detailed deal whose terms are guaranteed by China and whose terms will be revealed gradually in the next few weeks. One such details concern the long terms security agreement as well as the immediate action to be Read more

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Axis Moscow – Tehran: an alliance without unnecessary obligations

by Nikita Smagin *  Russia and Iran are finding more and more points of contact both in the foreign policy and economic spheres. It is no coincidence that this year has already become unprecedented in terms of the frequency of visits at high and highest levels between countries. The latest event in this context was Read more

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Tehran Summit further limits Erdogan’s margins of maneuvering

by Hoda Rizk Iran is trying to re-deepen the relationship between the Astana parties in light of the changes taking place in the region and the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on regional and international alliances, at a time when Turkey is reviewing its stances and foreign policy after a decade of failed projects, and Read more

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The Lebanese elections bring change and no change

The 2022 elections in Lebanon may change the processes of governing and that is because no traditional block or alliance secured a majority that would allow it to govern. This change is not structural since the establishment parties and political actors have maintained their level of representation mainly due to the fact that the system Read more

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How the Chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan is reconfiguring Relations and Networks in Southwest Asia and North Africa

  The wars in Syria, Libya, and Yemen reshaped relations between regional powers in Southwest Asian and North Africa. The rise of the erratic prince to power in Saudi Arabia created even more uncertainty, instability, and violence. None of that seem to be enduring, though. Just months ago, Turkey and Egypt were at odds over Read more

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Erdogan-Putin Summit: Context and prospect for agreements

Speculation increased about the summit that took place between the Turkish and Russian presidents in Sochi about what the two leaders had agreed upon, especially since the summit took place behind closed doors and did not include the presence of any additional officials from the two parties, although Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan was among Read more

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How different is the new Taliban?

On September 23, 2021, the branch of the Islamic State (al-Khilafa) in Afghanistan released a statement claiming responsibility for an attack, using small arms, on members of the Taliban, whom they described as “Taliban militia.” Local news reports confirmed the attack. This is a small-scale attack that represented no serious danger to Taliban’s grip on Read more

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Tunisia, Again, Exposes the Connection between Media and Politics

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Intrigued by a fake photograph used by the BBC in its coverage of the war in Syria ten years ago, our interest in qualifying and quantifying the media bias while covering events in Southwest Asia and North Africa took a life of its own. Over the span of ten years, we Read more

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What authority does the president have under article 80 of the 2014 constitution of Tunisia?

On July 25, the president of Tunisia, Kais Saied, cited article 80 of the ratified 2014 constitution to declare a national emergency. The presidential order suspended the parliament for 30 days, dismissed the prime minister, and lifted immunity on parliamentarians. Here is a translation of the article that the president is relying on to justify Read more

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Is the Moroccan Left Experiencing an Organizational and Ideological Crisis?

by Mohammad Sammouni* How did the coordination between currents of the radical left and the Islamist opposition movement (The Justice and Charity Party) transcend the social level that concerns public services issues, to reach political demands that concern the nature of the power system and the overthrowing tyranny? What was the role of the “20 Read more

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