Astana Peace Talks, Syrian refugees and Turkish new military operation

On June 15th, 2022, the 18th international meeting of Astana Peace Talks kicked off in Nur Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan. As guarantor countries, delegations from Russia, Turkey and Iran (which launched the Astana peace process in January 2017) will meet the Syrian government and opposition forces during the two-day talks.
Bahrain, energy market and media: a meeting with Rashid Al-Hamer and Sara Najeeb

SpecialEurasia investigated contemporary Bahrein, its energy market and media situation with Rashid Al-Hamer, the Secretary-General of the Bahrain Journalists Association, and Sara Najeeb, board member and Head of the Media Committee of the Bahrain Journalists Association.
Kurdistan politics and media: a conversation with Dr Nazakat Hussein

Kurdistan is experiencing severe internal complications due to the relationship with the central government in Baghdad and the recent Turkish military operation in the region in which Ankara planned to eliminate PKK members defined by Turkish authorities as “terrorists”.
SpecialEurasia launched a new joint project called “Opinione Araba – الرأي العربي”

SpecialEurasia launched a new joint project called “Opinione Araba – الرأي العربي” in partnership with the Italian media agency Notizie Geopolitiche. The project aims to promote geopolitics, international relations, investment opportunities, and local dynamics related to the Arab world among the Italian audience.
Oman: regional role, development strategy and media. Report from Muscat

Located in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman has elaborated a strategy to establish balanced relations with regional and international actors, improve social living conditions, attract foreign direct investments (FDIs), and promote its historical identity and traditions.
Media, society, and geopolitics in the Middle East: the case of Syria, Yemen, and Iraq

During the 31st World Congress of IFJ, we discussed with Iraqi, Syrian and Yemenite representatives the situation in their countries, focusing on society, media and the impact of regional and international geopolitics.
Security, social stability, and the role of the media in contemporary Iraq

Since 2003, the situation in Iraq has undergone a significant change, and the country has had to face a process of modernisation and democratisation combined with the fight against the various local terrorist organisations, primarily the Islamic State, which have undermined the local stability and represented a threat to the security of the Iraqi people.
Iran and Tajikistan expanded their cooperation in different fields

Iran and Tajikistan marked a significant step in their bilateral relations after the meeting of the Iranian and Tajik presidents and the signing of 16 cooperation agreements which stressed Tehran’s cultural diplomacy in Central Asia and Dushanbe’s attempt to diversify its foreign partners.
New Great Britain’s approach to the JCPOA

In recent weeks, Great Britain has backed the nuclear deal with Iran by changing its previous positions. According to the spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the main reason is the desire to establish economic relations with Iran as soon as possible.
An intermestic approach: Israel’s foreign policy strategy vis-à-vis the Ukraine conflict

Due to the regional dynamics and considering its security, Israel has always adopted a domestic policy as a function of its foreign policy and vice versa. Although the external threats have changed during the decades, now and in the future, Tel Aviv will continue to adopt interlinked domestic and foreign strategies.
The other side of the Yemeni war: UAE and Saudi Arabia soft-hard power games in Socotra

Recent events in the Gulf underlined that while Saudi Arabia is focusing on the al-Mahrah province on the border with Oman to ease its access to the Indian Ocean, the UAE is getting hold of the essential Yemenite islands, with the most relevant being Socotra.
Turkey started a military operation in northern Iraq in connection with gas pipelines

In the aftermath of the events in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia, European countries are straggling in search of alternative gas imports. Turkey started a military operation in northern Iraq to ensure gas supplies from Kurdish fields.
Russian economy is shifting toward Eurasian markets through Iran

The Western sanctions against Russia caused by the Ukraine conflict have changed the Kremlin’s foreign policy, which currently seems to be more oriented toward the Eurasian market, as the recent Iran-Russia trade conference highlighted.
The Iranian nuclear deal amplifies divisions in the Middle East

The Iranian nuclear deal might become the watershed in the Middle Eastern dynamics, leading to regional escalations and divisions and rising the geopolitical risk level.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s operations in Yemen

The recent al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula terrorist attack against the Southern Separatist Forces in Yemen demonstrated the group’s capabilities and its possible influence in regional geopolitical dynamics and security.

Tag: Middle East