Jordan is in the throes of a highly sensitive phase that is reshaping both its relationship with its surroundings and its domestic makeup. In the context of an ongoing regional escalation, including the fallout from conflicts in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran, along with the transformation of Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 and the subsequent reconfiguration of its neighborhood, the Kingdom is facing a persistent test of its ability to maintain its domestic balance and political stability.
learn more
Introduction On June 18, 2026, the United States and Iran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding, dubbed the Islamabad MOU, committing to negotiate a roadmap to end hostilities that had commenced in late February 2026. Over the course of roughly four months, the conflict rippled across the region, exacting significant costs on neighboring states, severely disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint, and weighing… Continue reading The 60-Day Test: Fault Lines in the U.S.-Iran Deal
learn more
On April 11, 2026, Libya’s two rival governments approved the country’s first unified national budget since 2013, valued at nearly 190 billion Libyan dinars (approximately $30 billion). The agreement, sponsored by the United States through its envoy and Presidential Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos, was primarily a pact between Ibrahim Dbeibah, nephew of Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, and Saddam Haftar, son and presumed successor of the head of the eastern-based Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), Khalifa Haftar. Ten countries, including… Continue reading Libya: Trapped Between Internal Impasse and International Interference
learn more
Media coverage of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has focused overwhelmingly on the disruption of energy supplies to global markets. Yet this narrow waterway also connects Gulf fertilizer producers with farms across Africa, Asia, and beyond. The disruption of these agricultural inputs threatens to increase global hunger… Continue reading The Hormuz Blockade Experience Is Forcing Food Security Adaptation
learn more
The American-Israeli war on Iran has not only reshaped the Middle East’s security landscape; it has also accelerated an important shift in regional diplomacy. Qatar has emerged from the conflict with its position as one of the region’s—and increasingly the world’s—most consequential diplomatic brokers further strengthened, while Pakistan has made a surprising but significant entry into the mediation… Continue reading Pakistan and Qatar’s Emergence as Key Mediators in Iran-U.S. Diplomacy
learn more
The most significant political consequence of Türkiye’s handling of the 2026 Iran war may not be what it achieved abroad, but how it continues to reshape politics at home. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emerged from the crisis with enhanced regional standing after Ankara helped facilitate de-escalation efforts while maintaining relations across competing camps. At a time when the Middle East… Continue reading Türkiye’s Foreign Policy Success Is Reshaping Politics at Home
learn more