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.
Geopolitical fragmentation and wars overshadowed COP29. A more resolute international community should focus on stopping wars, which may not only save lives but also preserve the global compact on climate change and in turn save the planet.
While the economic bloc is not inherently anti-Western, the desire to constrain Western hegemony is a potent unifying force and could push the bloc to increasingly challenge American- and European-led institutions.
With political stability and the threat of conflict relapse a persistent problem in Baghdad, some Gulf countries are expanding ties to Iraqi Kurdistan.