This is the first in a multi-part series exploring Captagon and the future of the amphetamine trade inside the Middle East. In this article, we contextualize the importance of Captagon and explore its associated trade to both the former Assad regime and various non-state actors within the Middle East.

Lebanon’s new leadership under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam signals a potential shift from years of political deadlock and economic collapse. As they take office, they must confront deep-seated corruption, rebuild state institutions, and manage regional instability, all while balancing sectarian divisions and international expectations.

The imperial histories of Iran and Turkey have left an enduring imprint on their modern political identities, ideologies, and the public preferences of their citizens. Their similarities and distinctions present a unique case study of how historical grandeur informs modern governance.

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), power dynamics have shifted significantly since the Abraham Accords were signed in late 2020 between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Prior to the Accords, the Arab world at large maintained leverage over Israel in its near universal rejection of the Jewish State and support for the Palestinian cause. The Arab world’s unanimity led the charge to boycott all Israeli goods, delegitimize its right to exist in the court of public opinion, and counter Israel militarily whether by proxy or in direct conflict.

This article aims to provide a new framework for analyzing the feminist movement in relation to religious symbols in Iran. After interpreting the literature in the field, it is clear that feminism and Islamic feminists have joined forces in the past in order to accomplish social change. Secular and Islamic feminists did not have a collective identity, but for a period of time they were united by collective goals. Thus, collective goals are a means of accomplishing social change.

Why has Iran resolved to ensure crippling sanctions and exist as a pariah state in the international system? Is the Iranian leadership rational for seeking nuclear weapons?

As Joe Biden begins his term as President of the United States, he is left with the question of how to best tackle the dispute between the United States and Iran over the Iranian nuclear program and the JCPOA. To best understand how the Biden administration ought to proceed, it is important to first understand the legal context behind the final actions of the Trump administration and what strategy they wished to pursue.

For much of its modern history, the Middle East has experienced widespread instability and low-legitimacy governance. However, since its independence in 1971, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has managed to circumvent many of the obstacles that face other regimes in the region. The Emirati federal system sets the UAE’s government apart from its neighbors and presents an interesting model for federalism in the Middle East. Yet, the UAE benefits from unique circumstances that allow its federalism to act as a stabilizing factor.