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.
Oman’s initiative to facilitate safe passage for vessels from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz has huge implications in the management of the Hormuz crisis, significantly diminishing Iran’s leverage on the issue in the face of growing strategic alternatives for the Gulf states.
A U.S.-brokered framework agreement has raised hopes of ending the Lebanon-Israel war. But can it overcome the competing interpretations and political realities that have repeatedly undermined peace efforts?
The GCC is expanding solar energy infrastructure at a record pace across landscapes that are more ecologically complex than they appear. The challenge—and opportunity—is to ensure that clean energy development and ecosystem health advance together.