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Shifting Political Dynamics in Lebanon
Iran’s forward defense strategy, coupled with strategic miscalculations, has led to a retrenchment of its role in Lebanon’s domestic politics; a curtailment which in turn has reduced Hezbollah’s power base. This weakening has resulted in a marked shift in the balance of power, tilting deterrence in favor of Israel, the US, and Hezbollah’s opponents within…
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Saudi Arabia, China, Red Sea Geopolitics & The 2030 World Cup
In March 2021, a container ship – the Ever Given – ran aground in Egypt’s Suez Canal following stormy weather. This caused a significant obstruction to one of the world’s busiest trade routes, which lasted for almost a week. By the time the Ever Given was freed, there were more than three hundred and sixty…
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Returning to traditional solutions in the face of climate challenges
The Middle East region is facing major challenges related to climate change, and Iraq is no exception. Despite being a historically water-rich country, Iraq faces demands from multiple directions for this critical resource: population growth, the legacy of multiple wars, transboundary water (mis)management and a changing climate. An analysis of a commonly used drought index…
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Solar Solutions to Power Outages in Energy-rich Iraq
In 2011, the World Bank estimated Iraqis endured, on average, 40 power outages every month – placing Iraq in the unenviable position of sixth globally in terms of frequency of outages after Bangladesh, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Papua New Guinea. Over the past 12 years, the situation in Iraq has deteriorated further with widespread and…
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Moving past the Blue Diamond Affair: Saudi and Thai ties deepen
On November 20th, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok as a guest of honor. For Riyadh, his appearance was indicative of the kingdom’s increasingly prominent presence in multilateral forums, marking a significant step in the Saudis’ efforts to deepen their relationships with key Asian countries.…
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Israel’s Upcoming Election: The View from Amman and Ramallah
Jordan and Palestine are bracing themselves for Israel’s fifth election in just over three years, slated for November 1. Beyond Israel itself, these two countries are arguably most affected by the outcome and subsequent shifts in domestic politics. Taking primacy are Jordanian and Palestinian concerns over the future prospect of a two-state solution given trends…
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Capitalising on Covid: China’s health diplomacy in the Middle East
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has enabled the rising superpower to expand its sphere of influence in the Middle East. Much analysis of the initiative, which has seen China invest in more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, is focused on infrastructure, including new…
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Emerging space power in Central Asia: Kazakhstan at the crossroad
After the disintegration of the USSR, Kazakhstan inherited a significant technological artefact of the Soviet space program, the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The management of the spaceport, from which the historically significant Sputnik 1 was launched, was transferred to Russia through a lease agreement from 1994 till 2050. However the Kazakhstani leadership had remained committed to the…
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Navigating Great Powers: Mongolia and Kazakhstan’s shared geopolitical uncertainties
Though seldom analysed together, Mongolian and Kazakh foreign policies are connected today by nature of their shared experience of their two larger neighbours China and Russia. Mongolia and Kazakhstan have both attempted to balance a largely economic relationship with China and a military strategic relationship with Russia, in order to develop and maintain their security…
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What will be Labor’s policy on Palestine?
With the Australian Labor Party’s (ALP) victory in the Australian parliamentary elections on May 21, some policy shifts could be imminent. This is not limited to foreign policy, a space historically underpinned by broad bipartisanship in Canberra. However, ALP’s 2021 political platform suggests the party could explore a series of new approaches that reorient Australia’s…
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China and Iran: Unrecognised Potential and Opportunities
Iran presents important opportunities for China’s regional and continental ambitions. It has one of the world’s largest proven reserves of oil and natural gas which is important to the famously energy insecure Chinese economy. Iran also occupies a geographic region between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, a key point in the old Silk…
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