Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.
Five states are quietly building a security partnership that could redraw the Middle East’s strategic map. Whether it solidifies into a genuine alliance or remains a present-threat-driven initiative is still an open question.
Survival in the face of superior force is the Iranian state’s most consistent historical achievement. Could the current war be the outlier in a five-hundred-year-old pattern?
The ongoing conflict centered around Iran is having a profound impact inside Iraq, raising the stakes on divisive issues ranging from sovereign power to regional alignments.