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.  

İbrahim Karataş

The Al-Sisi government’s new “National Narrative” promises a fresh development vision but largely echoes familiar economic prescriptions whose social and environmental implications remain deeply problematic.

Salma Hussein

Despite years of negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its implications on Nile water distribution, the project has been completed without an agreement in place. What happens now? 

Ahmed Morsy, Tsedenya Girmay

In contrast to last year’s summit, the 2025 BRICS+ meeting in Brazil avoided the image of challenging Western financial hegemony and focused on building the base of its future clout.    

By outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood, the Jordanian government has narrowed the space for political opposition, which may push dissent underground and fuel instability. 

Molly Hickey

The Trump administration has taken aim at the U.S. State Department in ways that will impact Washington's influence in the Middle East.

Robert P. Beschel Jr.