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.
Contact us at afkar@mecouncil.org.
Nafja Alkuwari
Assistant Professor, Qatar University
Bio
Nafja Alkuwari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Affairs at Qatar University.
In the U.S.–Israel Iran war, success has been measured less by the capacity to destroy than by the ability to control escalation through force, signaling, and diplomacy.
Rising regional escalation is exposing the limits of unilateral defense, pushing the GCC toward deeper coordination and collective air defense integration