... number of regional and extra-regional actors, with strong participation from European countries. Its outcomes, however, were largely declarative. One of the main reasons for this was the absence of one of the key players at the negotiating table — Israel.
Ibragim Ibragimov:
The Blockade’s Toll: How War Is Deepening the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited but declined to participate at the last moment. The official reason cited was the upcoming Jewish holiday,...
The deal may pause Syria-Israel tensions, but core issues like Golan, sovereignty and trust are still missing
As attention in the Middle East continues to gravitate toward unfolding crises in Gaza and the broader Arab-Israeli landscape, a less visible yet potentially consequential ...
... stands on the brink of humanitarian disaster: tens of thousands of people dead, mass displacement, collapsing infrastructure, famine and outbreaks of disease.
Conflict dynamics
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, with Hamas's surprise attack on Israel. In response, the Israeli army launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip and imposed a complete blockade on the territory. Within the first months of hostilities, the humanitarian cost was severe: by late 2023, the death toll ...
... converge. The Persian Gulf has become a focal point of international interest and attention since the
Arab Spring
uprisings broke out in 2011.
Recent events suggest that tides are changing. Attacks against Qatar, first by
Iran
in June and then by
Israel
this month, indicate a significant change in the region's security landscape. The attacks have called into question the fundamental strategic presumptions that have served as the foundation for Gulf Arab state security doctrines for the past fifty ...
... war" dynamic
The tension between Iran and Azerbaijan has gone beyond a mere diplomatic spat—it has become a reflection of deeper shifts in the geopolitical balance across the South Caucasus. Tehran has accused its northern neighbor of allowing Israel to use Azerbaijani territory to launch attacks deep inside Iran, an allegation that resurfaced during the recent twelve-day escalation. Despite repeated denials from Baku, the relationship between the two countries has become increasingly strained ...
The actions of Israel and the US are reviving the narrative that some states have the right to develop nuclear weapons and use force only because they consider themselves civilized
His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
When ...
The European stance seems to be split between three objectives: cooperating with the US without sacrificing strategic independence, backing Israel without condoning escalation, and restricting Iran without isolating it
After weeks of intense disagreements over the Gaza situation, which resulted in threats of economic sanctions, the
imposition
of sanctions on high-ranking Israeli officials,...
... the Key Events of the 12-Day War
Andrey Kortunov:
The Middle East Escalation: a View From Moscow
The conflict in Iran began amid escalating tensions between Tehran and certain regional and transregional actors in the months leading up to it. First: Israel aimed to eliminate command networks, nuclear facilities, missile capabilities, and incite unrest in Iran. However, the results were quite the opposite; new commanders with a more operational approach were swiftly appointed, the nuclear facilities ...
Strategically, Russia has little to gain and a lot to lose in case the crisis goes deeper
In the early morning of June 24 US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran after twelve days of intense airstrikes. The United States itself actively participated in this escalation cycle by hitting three major Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on June 22. Though the American leader claimed ...
A moment of “mutual deterrence” within a fragile balance
Following President Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, many questions remain about the durability of such an arrangement after years of proxy conflict—culminating recently in a direct 12-day aerial exchange of fire.
The nature of the agreement itself remains shrouded in ambiguity. Trump has yet ...
