Policy Analysis

The ongoing tensions in Nineveh's municipal council highlight how regional powers vie for influence in Iraq's local elections.

Signs that Ankara is interested in a potential reconciliation with the PKK could lead an end to a decades-long conflict and have ripple effects across the region, although numerous obstacles remain.

With Iraq's civil society increasingly losing access to international funding, its members face tough choices about the future.

Egypt, strategically positioned in the heart of the Middle East and North Africa, is grappling with significant economic pressures exacerbated by regional conflicts and geopolitical instability.

Oman is actively stepping up its coastal security in light of ongoing challenges from the "axis of resistance."

The ongoing Israeli military presence on the Philadelphia Corridor may prove an explosive flashpoint for Egypt-Israel relations given domestic pressures and internal fears in Cairo.

Yemen is experiencing brutal cycles of drought and deluge, a dangerous combination for a people already facing severe food insecurity.

The KDP leadership’s power-sharing status quo may be in jeopardy.

Elections in which Kurdish voters can authentically choose their leaders are not only what Kurdish citizens deserve; they increase the likelihood that the KRG will address the myriad concerns about its governance.

The debate over making Saturday the official second day of the weekend nationwide instead of Thursday has become a hot topic in Iran in recent months, highlighting the clash between the the regime’s ideology and the country’s economic reality.

In Jordan, Hamas is working to create a misleading narrative that conflates support for ending the war in Gaza and the Palestinians' right to self-determination with supporting Hamas.

As UNITAD's mandate ends, all involved parties should examine the limitations of what the organization was able to accomplish for the victims of ISIL's crimes after seven years.

The new amendment has been met with concerns as it is believed to promote child marriage, raising the stakes of this proposed amendment and its potential implications.

Kirkuk’s future remains uncertain due to the lack of any consensus-based projects between the governorate’s political actors. Even if these longtime rivals find a way to participate in the local government, it is possible that a slight grievance could devolve into political deadlock.

Effective counter-narratives are required to weaken the group's ideological appeal, especially the propaganda targeting Kurdish populations.

The greatest concern for small communities in Iraq is the failure of the state to regain its strength and ability to manage the country independently.

For the sake of the Iraqi labor market and of developing domestic expertise in oil and gas management, the government should seek to become more attractive to major IOCs outside of the Chinese companies currently drawn in by its bids.

The path towards reconciliation between Ankara and Damascus faces numerous obstacles, linked to a history of mistrust and significant gaps in major contentious issues.

Russia is taking advantage of recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to embed itself in the Sahel. However, its indiscriminate counterterrorism tactics come with a cost for their forces and the regimes it protects.

With no prospects for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, the Turkish government's insistence on maintaining its previous policies in northern Syria and its usurpation of the Syrian people's decision-making warns of dire consequences for an already fragile relationship.