Saudi Arabia’s Lebanon gamble may pay off

Saudi Arabia gamble to pressure Hezbollah by forcing Saad Hariri to resign may be paying off

God’s Middle East Playground

Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s return to Lebanon: A moment of truth

In shadowy covert wars, Iran takes center stage

Crown Prince Mohammed’s vow to moderate Saudi Islam: Easier said than done

The absence of an overriding puritan religious history has made it easier for Prince Mohammed bin Zayed to campaign against Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism

Why Doesn’t the U.S. Support Kurdish Independence?

The Kurds are one of Washington’s closest and most reliable allies in the Middle East

The Iran Deal is Working. Here’s How We Know

Battling for independence: Small states stake their claim

The battle for the ability to make independent choices is easier for existing small states like Qatar, the UAE and Singapore

Europe’s Future After Germany’s Election

The election upended a governing coalition that had avoided desperately needed reforms for too long

A look at what might happen if Catalonia goes it alone

Spain declared the referendum illegal and invalid

It is Never a Good Time for the Iraqi Kurds to Become Independent

The Turkish government believes that their self-determination represents an existential threat

Donald Trump and the Depressing Politicization of Everything

One reason the president cannot resist commenting on every issue in American life is that he seemingly cannot stand the actual work of American politics

Iran, the Gulf, the JCPOA, and American Strategy

No one in the United States can afford illusions about Iran

What the UAE fears most: Democracy

The Emiratis can intervene in the regions conflicts, install dictators, and arrange coups. They can apply maximum force. They will never, however, govern with consent

Legitimacy of Kurdish Referendum and possibility of the Federal Supreme Court to abrogate it

The Decline of American Diplomacy

Secretaries of State: Henry Kissinger to Rex Tillerson

Qatar accuses Saudi Arabia of 'politicizing' Hajj over pilgrim restrictions

National Human Rights of Qatar Council says it has filed a complaint with the UN over the restrictions placed on Qataris

Iran: Why has Qatar Approached Us?

fear of Saudi Arabia drove recent Qatari policy and emphasizes the importance of the Qatari-Saudi border dispute

Independent Kurdistan would be a failed state

it is time to recognize that the forced inclusion of the Kurds in Iraq has not worked for us or for the Iraqis

The Fight for the Northern Iraq-Syria Border

At the symbolic level, Iran and its proxies are achieving great success in planting their flags along this contested frontier, but real control will entail the much tougher task of establishing permanent bases and logistical arrangements

The siege of Qatar isn’t working

The tiny emirate is well placed to hold out for a good while yet

The rise of Mohammed bin Salman: A mixed blessing?

The ascendancy of prince Mohammed was never in doubt

The Gulf Crisis: Grappling for a face saving solution

Emmanuel Macron’s democratic revolution

After defying expectations by transforming French politics, his next task is to do the same with economic reform