https://www.ecfr.eu en Copyright 2020 2020-10-21T11:19:00+00:00 https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_do_not_expect_a_rush_of_arms_sales_to_iran https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_do_not_expect_a_rush_of_arms_sales_to_iran A broad range of political and financial problems are likely to prevent Iran from importing advanced weapons systems in the coming years.

]]> Europe and the world , The Middle East and North Africa, The Gulf, Iran, Ellie Geranmayeh, 2020-10-16T07:57:00+00:00 Ellie Geranmayeh https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_trump_or_biden_three_ways_to_make_europe_matter_in_the_middle_ea https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_trump_or_biden_three_ways_to_make_europe_matter_in_the_middle_ea The US will continue to retreat from the Middle East and North Africa, whoever wins the presidency. Europe needs to get its house in order to defend its interests.

]]> US election 2020, The Middle East and North Africa, Julien Barnes-Dacey, 2020-10-15T08:00:00+00:00 Julien Barnes-Dacey https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_deaths_of_the_mediators_in_chief_oman_kuwait_and_de_escalati https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_deaths_of_the_mediators_in_chief_oman_kuwait_and_de_escalati The new, still-unsteady leaders of Kuwait and Oman cannot afford to take the same risks as their predecessors. They will need Europe’s support if they are to maintain their independence.

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, The Gulf, Cinzia Bianco, 2020-10-09T13:20:00+00:00 Cinzia Bianco https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_the_eu_should_deal_with_the_eastern_mediterranean https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_the_eu_should_deal_with_the_eastern_mediterranean While it has made some progress in its recent diplomacy on the eastern Mediterranean, the EU needs a holistic approach to resolving economic and security disputes in the region.

]]> European Power, European Strategy, The Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, 2020-09-25T14:51:00+00:00 George Tzogopoulos https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_best_to_sit_and_talk_how_to_solve_the_conflict_in_the_eastern_me https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_best_to_sit_and_talk_how_to_solve_the_conflict_in_the_eastern_me A conflict could be brewing in the eastern Mediterranean. Here’s how to stop it.

]]> Wider Europe, Turkey, The Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Asli Aydıntaşbaş, 2020-09-24T13:27:00+00:00 Asli Aydıntaşbaş https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_protracted_neglected_and_ineffective_lessons_from_the_lebanon_tr https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_protracted_neglected_and_ineffective_lessons_from_the_lebanon_tr International courts are no substitute for politics – not least when the countries that set them up fail to back them.

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, Syria / Iraq / Lebanon, Anthony Dworkin, 2020-09-04T10:24:00+00:00 Anthony Dworkin https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_new_street_protests_can_help_diplomacy_in_libya_succeed https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_new_street_protests_can_help_diplomacy_in_libya_succeed Rival camps in Libya will likely sabotage political processes that could undermine them. The international community can head this off by harnessing protesters’ justified anger. 

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, North Africa, Libya, Tarek Megerisi, 2020-09-04T07:47:00+00:00 Tarek Megerisi https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_after_the_beirut_blast_lebanons_descent_into_chaos https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_after_the_beirut_blast_lebanons_descent_into_chaos It is imperative that the European Union provide sustained support to key actors in Lebanon, working around the Lebanese state wherever possible.

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, Syria / Iraq / Lebanon, 2020-08-28T10:27:00+00:00 Georges Haddad https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_europe_can_preserve_the_iran_nuclear_deal_until_november https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_europe_can_preserve_the_iran_nuclear_deal_until_november After a humiliating defeat at the UN Security Council, Washington will seek snapback sanctions to sabotage what is left of the nuclear deal. Britain, France, and Germany can still keep it alive until after the US election.

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, Iran, Ellie Geranmayeh, 2020-08-20T08:08:00+00:00 Ellie Geranmayeh, Elisa Catalano Ewers https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_israel_uae_peace_deal_flipping_the_regional_order_of_the_middle https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_israel_uae_peace_deal_flipping_the_regional_order_of_the_middle The Israel-UAE peace deal provides multiple wins for both countries, and for the US. But it could yet deepen the region’s political fault lines. 

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, Israel / Palestine, The Gulf, Cinzia Bianco, Hugh Lovatt, 2020-08-14T12:37:00+00:00 Cinzia Bianco & Hugh Lovatt https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_to_create_the_conditions_for_progress_in_israel_and_palestin https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_to_create_the_conditions_for_progress_in_israel_and_palestin Human rights and international law should be a timeless part of addressing problems in Israel and Palestine, but the international community urgently needs to begin doing so once more.

]]> ECFR Council, The Middle East and North Africa, Israel / Palestine, Daniel Levy, 2020-07-29T14:54:00+00:00 Daniel Levy https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_a_schuman_plan_for_the_eastern_mediterranean https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_a_schuman_plan_for_the_eastern_mediterranean The EU should look to its own history as it aims to secure its own interests and resolve tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

]]> ECFR Council, Europe and the world , Wider Europe, Turkey, European Power, European Strategy, Cohesion & Governance, National Politics, The Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, 2020-07-23T10:44:00+00:00 Anna Diamantopoulou https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_turkey_and_europe_growing_tensions_and_a_hot_summer_in_the_medit https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_turkey_and_europe_growing_tensions_and_a_hot_summer_in_the_medit Europe needs a grand bargain with Turkey that can create a short- and longer-term conflict-resolution framework covering energy, maritime boundaries, the Cyprus conflict, and Libya.

]]> Europe and the world , Wider Europe, Turkey, European Power, The Middle East and North Africa, North Africa, Libya, Asli Aydıntaşbaş, 2020-07-23T08:38:00+00:00 Asli Aydıntaşbaş https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_russia_showed_turkey_and_china_how_to_bully_eu https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_russia_showed_turkey_and_china_how_to_bully_eu The more meekly the EU handles other powers’ aggressive tactics, the more they will be tempted to imitate each other in novel ways to ignore, challenge, and openly attack European interests.

]]> Asia, Europe and the world , Wider Europe, Turkey, Russia, The Middle East and North Africa, Iran, Nicu Popescu, 2020-07-17T12:29:00+00:00 Nicu Popescu https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_a_pragmatic_partnership_why_china_and_iran_try_to_collaborate https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_a_pragmatic_partnership_why_china_and_iran_try_to_collaborate Iran’s rumoured talks with China on a partnership agreement could have significant economic benefits and provide it with valuable geopolitical bargaining chips.

]]> Asia, Europe and the world , The Middle East and North Africa, Iran, Ellie Geranmayeh, 2020-07-17T08:33:00+00:00 Ellie Geranmayeh https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_economic_meltdown_in_the_middle_east_how_europe_can_soften_the_i https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_economic_meltdown_in_the_middle_east_how_europe_can_soften_the_i Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq are all teetering on the brink of economic collapse. Europe cannot afford to be a helpless bystander.

]]> Europe and the world , European Power, European Strategy, The Middle East and North Africa, Syria / Iraq / Lebanon, Syria, Julien Barnes-Dacey, 2020-07-02T16:24:00+00:00 Julien Barnes-Dacey https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_why_the_war_in_libya_is_a_test_for_italy_and_for_a_geopolitical https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_why_the_war_in_libya_is_a_test_for_italy_and_for_a_geopolitical If Italy was the front facing east during the cold war, then today it is vulnerable to the south: the country has been drawn into a geopolitical competition that looms over the Strait of Sicily.

]]> ECFR Council, View from the Capitals, Europe and the world , Wider Europe, Turkey, Russia, European Power, The Middle East and North Africa, North Africa, Libya, 2020-06-30T06:57:00+00:00 Marta Dassù https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_politicised_aid_why_europe_should_sustain_cross_border_humanitar https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_politicised_aid_why_europe_should_sustain_cross_border_humanitar European countries should work to renew the UN Security Council resolution on cross-border humanitarian access to northern Syria, lest the area slides into a deeper humanitarian crisis.

]]> Refugee Crisis, Human Rights, Europe and the world , Wider Europe, Turkey, European Power, EU instruments, The Middle East and North Africa, Syria / Iraq / Lebanon, Syria, Kelly Petillo, René Wildangel, 2020-06-29T07:31:00+00:00 Kelly Petillo & René Wildangel https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_italys_chance_in_libya https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_italys_chance_in_libya The tide of Libya’s war is turning against renegade general Khalifa Haftar. Italy should seize this opportunity to lead European countries to a harmonised Libya policy.

]]> Europe and the world , European Power, Cohesion & Governance, National Politics, The Middle East and North Africa, North Africa, Libya, Arturo Varvelli, Tarek Megerisi, 2020-06-16T08:23:00+00:00 Arturo Varvelli & Tarek Megerisi https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_what_assads_victory_could_mean_for_syrians_in_germany https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_what_assads_victory_could_mean_for_syrians_in_germany Germany is a safe haven for Syrians for now – but a government decision to lift the ban on sending refugees back to Assad’s Syria would have catastrophic consequences.

]]> Note from Berlin, European Power, European Strategy, German foreign policy leadership, The Middle East and North Africa, Syria / Iraq / Lebanon, René Wildangel, 2020-06-15T06:30:00+00:00 René Wildangel https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_brink_of_collapse_the_coronavirus_in_sudan https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_brink_of_collapse_the_coronavirus_in_sudan Sudan’s transitional authorities are struggling to deal with a health system that is collapsing under the weight of covid-19. But the most dramatic social and economic impact of the disease might come from the effects that restrictions on movement will have on prices and food security.

]]> Coronavirus, Africa, The Middle East and North Africa, Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, 2020-06-08T08:55:00+00:00 Jean-Baptiste Gallopin https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_its_turkeys_libya_now https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_its_turkeys_libya_now European countries should try to revive the political approach to resolving the Libya conflict, particularly given that Turkey may want to do so from its current position of strength.

]]> Europe and the world , Wider Europe, Turkey, The Middle East and North Africa, North Africa, Libya, Tarek Megerisi, 2020-05-20T09:27:00+00:00 Tarek Megerisi https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_israels_west_bank_annexation_preparing_eu_policy_for_the_day_aft https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_israels_west_bank_annexation_preparing_eu_policy_for_the_day_aft West Bank annexation will bring an end to the EU’s cherished two-state solution. International norms and the EU’s own laws will now need to underpin post-annexation relations with Israel. 

]]> Europe and the world , The Middle East and North Africa, Israel / Palestine, gaza crisis, Hugh Lovatt, 2020-05-14T15:10:00+00:00 Hugh Lovatt https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_time_for_a_reset_iraqs_new_prime_minister_and_the_us_iran_rivalr https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_time_for_a_reset_iraqs_new_prime_minister_and_the_us_iran_rivalr Iraq needs to reset its relations with both Tehran and Washington in a way that protects Iraqi sovereignty and allows the central government to reassert control over the security apparatus.

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, Syria / Iraq / Lebanon, Iran, Sajad Jiyad, 2020-05-11T15:36:00+00:00 Sajad Jiyad https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_yemen_conflict_southern_separatism_in_action https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_yemen_conflict_southern_separatism_in_action The Southern Transitional Council’s declaration of “self-rule” threatens to revive the internecine feuds of previous generations.

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, The Gulf, Yemen, 2020-05-08T08:12:00+00:00 Helen Lackner https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_path_through_moscow_how_europe_can_help_syria https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_path_through_moscow_how_europe_can_help_syria Syrian opposition figure calls on Europe to work closely with Washington to build on growing Russian frustration with the Assad regime and increase their demands of Moscow.

]]> ECFR Council, Human Rights, Europe and the world , Wider Europe, Russia, European Power, The Middle East and North Africa, Syria / Iraq / Lebanon, Syria, 2020-05-07T08:08:00+00:00 Bassma Kodmani https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_undiplomatic_the_risks_of_germanys_ban_on_hizbullah https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_undiplomatic_the_risks_of_germanys_ban_on_hizbullah There will be little prospect of economic stabilisation and political compromise in Lebanon if the EU isolates one of the country’s major political forces.

]]> The Middle East and North Africa, North Africa, René Wildangel, 2020-05-06T15:35:00+00:00 René Wildangel https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_europe_can_avert_a_clash_over_the_iran_arms_embargo https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_how_europe_can_avert_a_clash_over_the_iran_arms_embargo France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will have to decide whether to support the US cause to extend the UN embargo or oppose it. But neither option is ideal.

]]> European Power, New European Security Initiative, Security and Defence, The Middle East and North Africa, Iran, Ellie Geranmayeh, 2020-04-29T12:06:00+00:00 Ellie Geranmayeh https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_a_chance_for_accountability_why_germany_should_welcome_an_icc_in https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_a_chance_for_accountability_why_germany_should_welcome_an_icc_in Germany has adopted a position that the Israeli government will likely interpret as support for its policies of occupation and settlement.

]]> European Power, New European Security Initiative, International Justice, Multilateral institutions, The Middle East and North Africa, Israel / Palestine, René Wildangel, 2020-04-29T10:17:00+00:00 René Wildangel https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_saudi_arabia_energy_geopolitics_and_the_big_production_cut https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_saudi_arabia_energy_geopolitics_and_the_big_production_cut Saudi Arabia took a major risk in launching the oil price war. There may be a political price to pay.
 

]]> Europe and the world , The Middle East and North Africa, The Gulf, Cinzia Bianco, 2020-04-20T08:24:00+00:00 Cinzia Bianco