The Iran-linked militia that U.S. officials said was likely responsible for the lethal drone attack against U.S. forces in Jordan over the weekend said yesterday it would suspend military operations, the clearest sign yet that Iran does not want to escalate conflict in the region.
Whether Russia in Ukraine or Iran in the Middle East, authoritarian regimes flexing their military muscles can generate a sense of irresistible momentum that fuels anxiety among more open societies. Yet if one looks at how both these regimes are coping with social change, what initially seems unstoppable begins to look less ominous.
Three U.S. soldiers were killed by a drone strike in northeast Jordan that the Biden administration blamed on an Iran-backed militia, raising fears that what have been low-level hostilities in the region will escalate into a direct confrontation with Iran.
East Africa has long been a region of great geopolitical importance and, as a result, the object of fierce competition. Now, recent developments, including Sudan’s brutal civil war and Ethiopia’s port access deal with Somaliland, have shone a spotlight on the United Arab Emirates’ influential role in regional affairs.
China’s latest moves in the region highlight its limitations in playing a meaningful role in shaping the security landscape of the Middle East.
At a time when the global order is in flux, it is notable that the drivers of many of the core security challenges in the world today are not, in fact, states. From Hamas to the Houthis movement, to Taiwan and Kosovo, the world is dotted by “quasi-” or “de facto” states. What does that mean for the role of the nation-state?
Under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Cairo has been unable to do anything more than react to crises around Egypt’s borders. With concerns growing over Egypt’s own stability, that has created a vicious cycle, increasing the likelihood that the chaos around it further exacerbates Egypt’s own internal problems.