Op-ed

Alexander Langlois Disarming Hezbollah would be much easier if Israel withdrew its troops from Lebanese territory. In the first week of August, the Lebanese government’s cabinet voted to disarm all armed groups in the country, marking a significant milestone for the country. But will the decision be implemented? …

Jacob Heilbrunn and Robert Silverman How should the US balance democratic principles with the need to confront groups that shift between ballots and bombs? Calls to ban the Muslim Brotherhood are gaining renewed momentum in Washington, reviving a debate that has long divided policymakers over how democracies should …

Dimitra Staikou On August 5, 2025, Nobel laureate and interim leader Mohammed Yunus announced that Bangladesh would hold parliamentary elections in February 2026. The Election Commission quickly confirmed the plan, promising an exact date later this year. At first glance, this may look like the return of democracy …

Brian Hudson In a world where the foundations of international law are being eroded under the weight of geopolitical interests and strategic calculations, the European Union finds itself at a historic crossroads: Are the values it claims to champion—human rights, justice, and multilateralism—truly guiding its foreign policy, or …

By Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh In a private meeting with geopolitical analyst George Friedman in 2022, and during an earlier conversation with the late Henry Kissinger in 2021, both thinkers alluded to the strategic inevitabilities of conflict in the Middle East. Strategist Friedman warned that the region was heading …

Rany Ballout Unifying and deradicalizing Syria’s armed forces will be the regime’s most formidable challenge. The United States has now lifted all sanctions on Syria, except on some individuals and entities associated with the former Assad regime. Additionally, the United States has revoked the foreign terrorist organization designation …

A new “Great Game” is unfolding in the Caucasus and Central Asia, echoing the nineteenth-century rivalry between empires, with a modern, multipolar twist. The term “Great Game” refers to the nineteenth-century strategic rivalry between the British and Russian Empires over influence in Central Asia, particularly in Afghanistan, Persia, …

John Calabrese The recent Israel-Iran crisis could catalyze an expanded role for the Gulf states in maintaining regional security. The June eruption of hostilities between Israel and Iran once again exposed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to the acute dangers of regional instability. Yet it also raises …

Washington must clarify what it actually wants from New Delhi in order to secure a mutually beneficial trade agreement. President Trump has imposed a 25 percent tariff on India, prompted by the failure to conclude a trade deal before the reciprocal tariff deadline of August 1. In a …