West Asia Round up - June 2019

Abstract June was a particularly hot month in so far as the developments in the Middle East are concerned. In the US-Iran imbroglio one witnessed a ‘hot & cold’ approach with the US continuing with its maximum pressure tactics while Iran d

Contextualising the US-Iran Tensions

The recent stand-off between Iran and the United States (US) is rooted in US President Donald Trump’s announcement to withdraw from Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on 8 May 2018, arguing that Iran was violating the spirit of the deal by

Israel’s Dissolved Knesset

On 9 April 2019, national election was held in Israel in which the incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assumed victory. The ruling party, Likud maintained its lead in the 120 members Israeli Parliament, Knesset with 35 seats. Likud’s allies

West Asia Round-up - April 2019

Libya Civil War After eight years of Arab Spring the plight of the Libyans continues unabated. General Khalifa Haftar, debunking the proposed conference (power sharing agreement) that could have ushered in some stability through a dialogue among

Assessing US Recognition of Golan Heights

On 21 March 2019, the US President Donald Trump announced his decision in a tweet stating that the US after 52 years have recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The reason according to President Trump is that the region ho

Dissecting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 document notes that the path to their future lies in three pillars, i.e., its status as the centre of the Muslim and Arab world; its desire to emerge as a global investment powerhouse and as the epicentre of trade connect

The Inter-Organizational Approach towards Migration and Terrorism: Lessons from the Arab League-EU Summit

In a historic first, the leaders including heads of states and governments of members of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the European Union (EU) held their first-ever summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 24 and 25 February, 2019. The conference c

Mike Pompeo’s trip to West Asia

Between 8 and 15 January 2019, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo undertook an eight country visit to Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and an unplanned trip to Iraq.1 The trip to Kuwait was cancelled b

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