19 Dec 2022 China’s catch-up game in the Middle East Rodger Shanahan For all the promises and praise, there is little prospect of displacing deep ties between the Gulf nations and the West.
14 Dec 2022 A step-up for China’s involvement in the Middle East Dave Sharma Beijing will not soon supplant Washington as a dominant security partner – but the Arab world sees a chance for leverage.
24 May 2022 Why the Middle East matters to Australia Anas Iqtait , Samy Akil The region may not dominate in the way Southeast Asia or the Pacific does at present, but it has before and can again.
7 May 2021 Royal rifts: Implications of Jordan’s family feud Rodger Shanahan , Shannon McGarry A supposed coup, a would-be king and restless youth. Trouble is brewing in the Hashemite kingdom.
12 Oct 2020 The false promise of regime change Bob Bowker A new book from an Obama insider considers the repeated failures of outside overthrow in the Middle East.
8 Oct 2020 Iran’s declining regional influence Shahram Akbarzadeh , Zahid Shahab Ahmed , William Gourlay Tehran capitalised on US mistakes in the Middle East, but its proxy wars and consistently aggressive façade have a cost.
4 Sep 2020 What is Turkey’s endgame in Libya? Iain MacGillivray Erdoğan’s strategy in Libya is about domestic legitimacy as much as regional projection – but past failures hang heavy.
1 Sep 2020 Why is the “Arab street” so silent on the Israel-UAE deal? Lydia Khalil Barely any outcry marked this latest shift, which probably reflects recognition of facts on the ground.
31 Aug 2020 The bleak reality of sectarian Lebanon Lauren Williams As the Lebanese people are left to pick up the pieces of the 4 August blast, few have faith in the state to help.
24 Aug 2020 The Hariri verdict and the fate of Hezbollah Rodger Shanahan The ruling on the 2005 assassination of the Lebanese PM will be a lasting stain on the party, but not its end.
21 Aug 2020 Hidden seams in the UAE-Israel deal Ben Scott It’s all about Iran, right? Actually, the agreement has more to do with managing the US and China.
17 Aug 2020 The essence of timing in politics Rodger Shanahan The UAE earned goodwill for a deal with Israel, but the US is still struggling to win backers for its hard line on Iran.
6 Aug 2020 It’s always about the oil in the Middle East Rodger Shanahan Confused by regional dynamics? Look to the constants.
27 Jul 2020 Turkey: Not a team player Rodger Shanahan A nationalist bent at home and provocations abroad have frayed ties with Europe, and maybe soon the US, too.
9 Jul 2020 Cashing in the chips at the Trump casino Rodger Shanahan The prospect of a Biden administration has pro-US leaders in the Middle East seeking to keep their political “winnings”.
22 May 2020 A Yazidi genocide trial commences – a Hezbollah ban contemplated Rodger Shanahan Two recent developments in Germany have implications for Australia’s security interests in the Middle East.
24 Apr 2020 ISIS looks to prosper in a world distracted by the virus Kareem Salem Europe could quickly be confronted by another security crisis if the terrorists growing resurgence is left unchecked.
8 Apr 2020 Coronavirus in conflict: The fight has hardly begun Eleanor Gordon , Florence Carrot Covid-19 has brought wealthy nations to their knees. What will happen when the virus breaks out in a war zone?
18 Mar 2020 Middle East dispatch: MBS purge, dam dispute, refugees in jeopardy Lauren Williams As Covid-19 threatens some of the world’s most vulnerable, power plays continue in northern Africa and Saudi Arabia.
27 Feb 2020 Lebanon contemplates defaulting on its debt – and a greater cost Eliza Harvey An economic crisis leaves the world with a big headache: A bailout, or risking another failed state in the Middle East?
11 Feb 2020 Middle East dispatch: A paper closes, a rift opens, Syria slips Lauren Williams New hostilities between Turkey and Syria mark another blow to the Astana process and further tragedy for civilians.
4 Feb 2020 Middle East Peace Plan: A once in a lifetime deal, not in a good way Rodger Shanahan A distinctly pro-Israel bias to the whole enterprise seems to confirm a Palestinian view of a plan as “dead on arrival”.
17 Dec 2019 Middle East protests: Careful what you wish for Rodger Shanahan For all the good intentions and international support, a local patronage system is the true lodestone on the region.
6 Nov 2019 Protests in Lebanon are a problem for Hezbollah Lauren Williams A rare and unified anti-sectarian agenda could quickly unravel as religious identities and old grievances take hold.
21 Oct 2019 Sparks fly in Lebanon Lauren Williams Recent protests and wildfires are both symptoms of chronic mismanagement, corruption, and dysfunction.
27 Sep 2019 Undeclared air strikes: Between war and peace Peter Layton Israel has pioneered attacks with no apparent owner, and now others have taken up the tactic.
26 Aug 2019 The Middle East air campaign, unmasked Rodger Shanahan Recent events reveal the evolving confrontation between Israel and Iran.
7 May 2019 Strategic trends across the Indo-Pacific region Kevin Rudd The US might be reorienting to the region, but so is the region responding to the deep gravitational pull from China.
16 Apr 2019 ISIS: the generational problem Rodger Shanahan For all the concern about the children of foreign jihadis, thousands of ISIS detainees in Iraq pose a bigger danger.
31 Oct 2018 Concerns over Saudi Arabia go far beyond Khashoggi Lydia Khalil The death of the dissident journalist has exacerbated regional worry about the many missteps by the Saudi Crown Prince.
30 Aug 2018 Libyan elections: another Gaddafi Casper Wuite Saif Gaddafi faces difficult obstacles, including his father's legacy, to challenge for the presidency of Libya.
14 Jun 2018 Understanding what is important Anthony Bubalo Anthony Bubalo, author of “Remaking the Middle East”, reflects on his changed priorities when observing the Middle East.
22 May 2018 Challenges mount up Bob Bowker Unsolved political issues in the Middle East leave barren soil for economic and social green shoots.
15 May 2018 Risk and reward in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict Dave Sharma Donald Trump’s unconventional approaches may be just what are needed.
2 May 2018 Power of youth Hafsa Halawa The euphoria of 2011 may have disappeared, but the youth of the Middle East have not forgotten.
1 May 2018 Iran’s May Day Rodger Shanahan President Trump’s deadline to decide on America’s role in the Iran Deal is drawing close.
1 May 2018 Trouble ahead Shahram Akbarzadeh Frustrated expectations in the Middle East and a lack of economic opportunities are destabilising.
30 Apr 2018 Decay and new growth Lydia Khalil The Middle East lacks the frameworks needed to capitalise on green shoots of change.
13 Mar 2018 The resurgence of Al-Qaeda Bruce Hoffman Al-Qaeda is positioned to reclaim the pre-eminent position in the violent Salafi-jihadi struggle.
8 Mar 2018 The pain of hearing: Australia’s parliament recognises Yazidi genocide Susan Hutchinson A motion in parliament last week gave a crucial voice to a community’s suffering.
2 Mar 2018 What’s in a (street) name? Rodger Shanahan A stroll down the petty side of Middle East conflicts.
7 Dec 2017 Jerusalem: Trump’s roll of the dice Anthony Bubalo Recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a risky move at a time of so much volatility in the Middle East.
5 Dec 2017 Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh: the demise of a great survivor Rodger Shanahan Saudi meddling in neighbouring Yemen has again come unstuck.
24 Nov 2017 Saudi desperation as Yemen campaign stagnates Alexander Harper Rare access to Yemen's badlands reveal the human and economic cost of the conflict.
20 Nov 2017 Navy fails to exercise common sense with Saudi boarding party Rodger Shanahan The naval blockade of Yemen has entangled a careless Australia.
9 Nov 2017 The puzzling demise of Lebanon’s Sa’ad Hariri Rodger Shanahan Riyadh’s man in Beirut is gone but seemingly not in some careful Saudi plot.
9 Oct 2017 Aid and its limits in Palestine Anas Iqtait The Palestinian economy lacks the foundational assets required for effective and sustainable growth, even with substantial aid disbursements.
30 Aug 2017 Don’t ask the UN to fight America’s war against Hizbullah Vanessa Newby The EU States recognise that changing the approach taken by UNIFIL would risk making their troops a target of violent resistance.
14 Aug 2017 Saudi-Qatar dispute: The new normal Anas Iqtait Far from dragging Qatar into the fold as intended, the rift between Qatar and its neighbours is likely to continue to expand.
31 Jul 2017 Trump’s vital but confused support for Lebanon Vanessa Newby Supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Lebanese government does mean tacitly accepting the presence of Hizbullah, a designated terrorist group in Europe and the US.