Europe

The Economic Sentiment Indicator declined by 1.5 points to 96.7 in the EU and dropped by 1.6 points to 96.6 in the euro area during March, official figures showed on Monday. The European Commission reported that the Employment Expectations Indicator also fell by 1.3 points to 97.3 in …

Raphael Dosson The Iranian conflict is falling, predictably, into the escalation trap—from what began as a vertically limited, regime-targeting air campaign to a horizontally expanding regional war, with the potential to become one of the most consequential geostrategic crises of the century, carrying far-reaching implications for the global …

Mohammed Ayoob President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran arose from a severe misunderstanding of US interests in the Middle East. President Donald Trump had long been opposed to US military involvement in wars in the Middle East. He had excoriated previous administrations for their military involvement in …

Frank Vogl Just recently, a “bomb” exploded in downtown Frankfurt when it finally became apparent that the Hilton Hotel there is part of the overseas investment network of the Iranian regime. Booking.com has suspended the hotel from its reservation service on news that a major investor in the …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh There are moments in history when the stage is stripped bare, when the actors—once draped in grandeur—are revealed as mere performers reciting borrowed lines. The current war orbiting Iran, the United States, and Israel is one such moment: a geopolitical drama that would make Niccolò Machiavelli nod …

Lexy Reid 20% of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a small chokepoint whose use is now being massively disrupted by war, drone strikes and the competing interests of great powers. The current Iran War has transformed the Strait of Hormuz from a potential risk …

Lama Al-Rakad Russia’s recent strategic moves in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly in coastal areas, highlight a recurring pattern in geopolitics: powers that neglect to empower local populations often achieve only temporary gains. Using George Friedman’s analytical framework, this article examines how Russia’s reliance on direct military and economic …

Lyle J. Goldstein The Iran War is distracting the United States from the most pressing issues facing the global order, namely, US-China relations. The costs to the United States of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran are growing both in blood and treasure. The Strait of Hormuz is …

Laurence Norman The prospects of a diplomatic deal ending the war between the U.S. and Iran look dim right now. But Middle East veterans say there is a pathway for an agreement if the two sides want to engage. Mediators from Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan are pushing for …