Donald Trump
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The assassination of Qassem Soleimani
U.S.-Iranian conflict set to escalate
Trump’s sweet revenge could swiftly turn bitter, after all the U.S. attack is a direct declaration of war against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its elite Quds troops commanded by Soleimani. By Karim El-Gawhary
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Interview with Nader Hashemi on the protests in Iran
Violence "reflects the Iranian regime's desperation"
The recent protests in Iran were not as peaceful as the Green Movement of 2009, something that political scientist Nader Hashemi attributes to the actions of the security forces. Interview by Azadeh Fathi
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Foreign academics risk arrest in Iran
Tehran's new hostage policy
Political hostage takings are nothing new in Iran. But the detention of several western academics represents a new dimension. There are grounds for suspecting that hardliners in the judiciary, intelligence service and Revolutionary Guard Corps are intent on scuppering talks to salvage the nuclear accord. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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The mirage of regime change
Why the United States is Khamenei’s bogeyman
According to the leadership in Tehran, the USA is driven by an insurmountable hostility towards Iran. But even if Trump's policy of "maximum pressure" seems to confirm this notion, the U.S. government is not pursuing a policy of regime change. By Payam Ghalehdar & Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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Turkey isolated amid international pressure
Erdogan's captive audience
Most Turkish citizens approve – to a greater or lesser extent – of their countryˈs incursion into Syria and are deeply irritated by the Westˈs apparent incomprehension of the situation on Turkeyˈs southern border. By Ayse Karabat
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Turkey's Syria offensive
Burying the Kurdish autonomy project
When the Kurds of Syria came under Turkish fire less than ten days ago, the Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was left with no choice but to call on Assad for help. Thus ends a political project that many hailed as a model for the future order of Syria. But, as Ulrich von Schwerin points out, it was a project built on very shaky foundations
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Maximum pressure and asymmetrical tactics
Dangerous shifts in the U.S.-Iranian stand-off
As the United States and Iran face off in the Persian Gulf, their asymmetric conflict risks spiralling out of control. Unless the rest of the world gets involved, the dangerous game both countries are playing could end in direct confrontation. Analysis by Volker Perthes
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A year to the day
The infamous murder of Jamal Khashoggi
Key Saudi figures in the Jamal Khashoggi murder investigation have so far escaped trial for his death. But while UN efforts to deliver justice have stalled, difficult questions about the killing still won't go away. By Tom Allinson
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Farewell to multilateralism in the Middle East
The death of Arab unity
The collapse of traditional multilateralism in the Arab world has been accompanied by a significant shift in American Middle East policy under President Donald Trump, writes Jasmine M. El-Gamal in her essay
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Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities
Hitting Saudi Arabia where it hurts
After the drone attacks on two oil plants in Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Trump warned that the USA was ready with a "loaded" weapon to react to the attacks. But against whom is his warning directed? By Karim El-Gawhary
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Germanyʹs involvement in the Middle East
Merkelʹs anti-IS mission to continue in Syria
Despite internal wrangling, Germanyʹs ruling coalition partners have decided – subject to parliamentary approval – to prolong its military deployment in the fight against Islamic State. Individual parts of the mandate may be extended by varying degrees, but the deployment of German Tornados should only last five months. By Seda Serdar
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Afghanistanʹs political future
Is peace with the Taliban possible?
Despite ongoing peace negotiations between the United States and the Taliban, the bloody conflict in Afghanistan continues to take a heavy toll on the country’s people. Can talks with the Taliban really bring about peace? By Amin Saikal