Category: Reasoned Comments

Original essays, research notes, and reports

Iran’s Position on Uranium Enrichment — A Turning Point or a Stalemate in Negotiations with the United States?

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Iran’s Position on Uranium Enrichment — A Turning Point or a Stalemate in Negotiations with the United States?

The recent remarks by Iran’s Supreme Leader, who described uranium enrichment as an “inviolable right,” have drawn a clear line. This position highlights the fundamental dilemma in the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States: either the U.S. acknowledges Iran’s sovereign right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes — which could introduce a new Read more

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The Political Instrumentalization of “Terrorism” and Sanctions in Contemporary Foreign Policy

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on The Political Instrumentalization of “Terrorism” and Sanctions in Contemporary Foreign Policy

The recent developments surrounding former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa—formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani—and his transformation from a wanted terrorist leader into a sitting president welcomed by the President of the United States illustrate a deeply troubling fact in international relations: the arbitrary use of the “terrorism” label and economic sanctions as tools of political convenience Read more

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The Interconnectedness of Events in Syria, Turkey, and SWANA

Ahmed SouaiaiaLeave a Comment on The Interconnectedness of Events in Syria, Turkey, and SWANA

What happens in SWANA will not Stay in SWANA by Ahmed Souaiaia Abstract: The ongoing crises in Syria and Turkey are deeply intertwined with broader regional dynamics, including the ongoing instability in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. This article analyzes these events through the lens of the Systems Thinking Framework (STF), which Read more

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Syrian Crisis: The Risks of Fragmentation and the Lessons of History

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Syrian Crisis: The Risks of Fragmentation and the Lessons of History

The crisis in Syria has evolved into a multifaceted conflict with significant implications for the country’s territorial integrity. The ongoing violence, driven by internal power struggles and exacerbated by external interventions, raises concerns about the potential fragmentation of Syria along sectarian and ethnic fault lines. Unless regional players adopt a more strategic and long-term vision, Read more

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The future of Syria in the light of similar events in SWANA

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on The future of Syria in the light of similar events in SWANA

by Ahmed Souaiaia Since the start of the protest movement popularly known as the Arab Spring in 2011, all countries in Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) have been impacted and the level of change in each of these countries depended on domestic, regional and global factors. However, there is one variable that established itself Read more

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The Colonial Pillaging and Plunder Continues

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on The Colonial Pillaging and Plunder Continues

by Hatem Najjar In 2022, Josep Borell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, triggered a controversy by saying that Europe was a garden of prosperity and “most of the rest of the world” was a jungle.   Some accused him of tone-deafness and racism. He defended his statement saying that his “reference Read more

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Parsing “We don’t do body count”

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Parsing “We don’t do body count”

For some time, people of the Global South have suspected their humanity does not register in the mind and hearts of the “civilized” Western world. However, recent events, including the West’s response to the pandemic, turned that suspicion into an established fact. Western leaders’ refusal to acknowledge civilian casualties resulting from wars they initiated, their Read more

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