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Middle East

Middle East escalation reveals Israel’s shifting strategy 

August 28, 2025

Trump’s foreign policy playbook returns: what Europe must learn

August 20, 2025

Where are China and Russia in the Israel-Iran conflict?

July 3, 2025

Recognising war: Gaza’s occupation and the Israel-Iran conflict

June 24, 2025

Trump’s attack on Iran and the logic of America First

June 24, 2025
May 6, 2025

Is Iran’s sharp power waning? 

John Chin Bashar Assad is ousted in Syria; Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis weakened in ongoing conflicts. All this has significantly weakened Iran’s 'axis of resistance'. John Chin and Mary Urso argue that the crisis of Iran’s regional proxies is leading Iran to strengthen cooperation with a global network of autocracies Read more
March 19, 2025

Why Syrian refugees are unlikely to return home

Ümit Seven Syrian refugees face multiple challenges in returning to their homeland. The threat of violence may have ended, but the destruction of infrastructure, along with social and economic instability, make return unlikely. Ümit Seven shows how prolonged displacement has led many Syrians to rebuild their lives elsewhere. Many, he argues, have created a 'pragmatic home' in host countries Read more
January 14, 2025

The struggle for a dignified return of refugees to Syria

Maissam Nimer The sudden collapse of the Assad regime could result in Syrian refugees being pressured into returning. But Maissam Nimer and Susan Beth Rottmann say refugee returns must be voluntary, dignified, and sustainable – not driven by political agendas. Given Syria's shattered infrastructure, instability, and limited opportunities, 'safety' means more than simply the absence of violence Read more
December 19, 2024

Kurdistan: A double-edged sword for Turkey

Loqman Radpey In a rapidly changing political environment, the fate of Kurdistan is now shaping the future of the Middle East. Turkey’s century-long repression of the Kurds, argues Loqman Radpey, is now posing a critical dilemma: either embrace de jure recognition of Kurdistan and Kurdish rights, or risk escalating tensions and instability Read more
December 11, 2024

Displaced again: forced mobility from Lebanon to Syria

Maissam Nimer The spectacular fall of the Syrian regime comes with high expectations on refugee return. But we should meet such expectations with caution. Only a week ago, secondary displacement from Lebanon to Syria was being framed – wrongly – as 'voluntary return'. Maissam Nimer and Nora Stel warn that uncertain times lie ahead for displaced Syrians. Read more

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Advancing Political Science
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