INTRODUCTION The Arab region has experienced decades of political unrest, which is likely to persist; however, recent developments are indicative of the onset of a new regional order. Armed conflicts, shifting alliances, external interventions, and the increasing assertiveness of regional powers have produced a fragmented political order in which authority is dispersed among various state […]
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s comment at the Labour Party conference that the United Kingdom (UK) should consider options when it comes to its European Union (EU) ties, including rejoining the group, has ignited a debate that will be hard to shut down. Why did he make such a comment, and what are the options […]
Amid the shifting strategic landscape of the Middle East and the changing relationships shaping the region, Fiker Institute hosted Dr Lina Khatib, scholar of Middle Eastern geopolitics and security, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative, and Chatham House Associate Fellow, to discuss the implications of these pivots for regional security, diplomacy, […]
The 2026 United States (US)-Israel attack on Iran came as a profound shock to the Gulf states. Though far from a unitary actor, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states all shared to varying degrees three core assumptions: hosting US bases and cultivating close diplomatic ties to Washington would deter an attack by any hostile power; maintaining dialogue with […]
There is an ongoing debate about the rise of middle powers in the world, including in the Gulf, and where this rise fits in the mechanics of the international system. This debate sometimes places those middle powers in the context of what some observers see as rising multipolarity. But the notion of polarity itself, while […]
On January 1, 2027, the United Nations (UN) will have a new Secretary-General. The race to lead the organization is underway, and attention has focused on who should occupy the office. The harder question is what member states are prepared to do once the selection is complete. During the post-Cold War period, member states gave […]
