... the roundtable took part Head of the Department of Israel and the Jewish communities, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Viktor Smirnov, Valdai Discussion Club Expert Andrey Kortunov, Lead Researcher of the Center for the Middle East Studies, IMEMO, RAS Nikolay Sukhov, Head of the Regional Relations Study Group, Center for the Middle East Studies, IMEMO, RAS Liudmila Samarskaya, Senior Researcher of the Center for the Middle East Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies,...
... young Yemeni state gave rise to well-founded fears that the federalization project might ultimately lead not to the desired strengthening of national unity, like in other societies, but to the state’s disintegration.
Ivan Bocharov:
Conflict in the Middle East: Possible Regional Implications
By mid-2025, the Yemeni crisis (YC) had passed through four stages of development. The two earlier stages—those of President Saleh’s rule and the implementation of the GCC Initiative—constituted its endogenous ...
... unpredicted consequences, such as divergent views of Israel and Iran, this is also compelling introspection at a challenging moment for the larger region.
Entanglement or Empowerment? New Security Paradigm for Gulf States
Extra-Regional Actors in the Middle East. RIAC Report
For decades, the fundamental strategic presumption among the Arab states of the Gulf has been that the United States is the ultimate guarantor. Washington has been seen as
key
to the security of the Gulf. The U.S. military presence ...
... United States and Israel. Asserting that “Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security.” Kaja Kallas, the head of European Union foreign policy,
repeated
this position on the X media platform,... ... This cautious attitude highlights Europe's efforts to balance its alliance with Israel and continue to play a mediating role in Middle Eastern diplomacy.
The European-Iranian contradiction over Tehran's missile and nuclear programs seems to be more important ...
..., the US hits resulted only in marginal damage to the nuclear capabilities of the Islamic Republic with the enrichment centrifuges remaining mostly untouched. In any case, Iran struck back, firing missiles on June 23 at the largest US airbase in the Middle East, Al Udeid in Qatar. Moreover, already after public acceptance of the truce, both Iran and Israel continued to exchange fire and to make belligerent statements accusing each other of aggressive intentions.
Basel Haj Jasem:
No Peace, Just Pause: ...
The recent U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure mark a notable recalibration of Washington’s Middle East policy
The recent U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure mark a notable recalibration of Washington’s Middle East policy. In recent years, the United States has sought to avoid direct involvement in armed conflicts. While maintaining ...
... cloaked in diplomatic theater. Worse, it will go down as a day of infamy in international relations: a moment when negotiation was used not to resolve conflict, but to disguise premeditated violence.
Regime change blowback
Extra-Regional Actors in the Middle East. RIAC Report
What did Israel and the United States hope to achieve through this betrayal? Regime change? The total submission of a sovereign nation to a militarized settler state forged in 1948? Are we now expected to believe that post-regime ...
... Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia, Head of the Department of Israel and Jewish Communities at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS); Vladimir Sazhin, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS; and Ivan Bocharov, Program Manager at RIAC.
Report No. 99 / 2025
Report No. 99 / 2025
The following report focuses on the Middle Eastern policies of extra-regional actors and their transformation in changing conditions. It concentrates on studying the strategies pursued by Russia, the U.S., the EU, China and India in the Middle East. The report also examines how Middle Eastern ...
... “Tehran Dialogue Forum — 2025” was held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). The event was organized by the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS). The forum focused on current political and economic developments in the Middle East and their global implications. Particular attention was paid to the formation of a regional security architecture and the promotion of economic integration. The forum brought together government officials and leading experts from the Middle ...
