Women’s rights across the globe have suffered massive setbacks, from the systematic abuse women face in Iran at the hands of the regime, a trend which has been repeated across the Islamic world under the influence of radicals in Yemen, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, to the moratorium on education the Taliban imposed on education. War has been declared against … Continued

Iran’s proxy politics and its strategic deployment of an expanding number of allied groups throughout the Middle East continues to destabilise the region. Iran's motives and approaches are complex and resilient as Tehran strives to maintain its military and security influence across its borders through both armed and political affiliates. Proxies have unquestionably strengthened Tehran’s … Continued

As Europe scrambles to get out from under Russian gas hegemony, gas exporting countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region are poised to assume a larger role in the energy landscape. In June, the European Union, Egypt, and Israel signed a landmark agreement for the export of natural gas to Europe. While a promising start, significant geopolitical … Continued

Despite many calls for reforms in Iran, the Opposition – both in and out of the country – has failed as a collective force to garner enough traction to manifest any tangible progress. Not only that but none of the internal proponents for change have been able thus far to mobilise international support for their … Continued

As the winter approaches Europe worries if its homes will be warm. In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European countries have adopted an unprecedented set of sanctions against Russia – including restrictions on importing Russia’s oil. Moscow has also cut gas supplies to several states. An implication of these sanctions is that countries are seeking alternatives … Continued

“In 2006, in the midst of a fierce war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice famously stated that the world was witnessing the “birth pangs of a new Middle East.” She was right—but not in the sense she had hoped. Instead of disempowering Hezbollah and its … Continued

More than half a million people have been killed in the course of the Syrian conflict, and more than 13 million displaced across the world. At least 100,000 Syrians still languish in the country’s prisons, and the families of hundreds of thousands wait for confirmation of the fate of their loved ones – many of … Continued

What would the UK's foreign policy look like under Sir Keir Starmer? According to Professor Azeem Ibrahim, whose paper warning of the impact of Jeremy Corbyn’s foreign policy made front-page news in 2019, Starmer's approach to foreign policy is “more assertive and more serious than that of any Labour leader since the general election of 2010 but still … Continued

Russia transformed from an authoritarian system into a dictatorship following constitutional changes in 2020 that allowed Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036, but de facto made Putin president for life. Since then, collective leadership has been replaced with rule by a dictator of a kind last seen in Joseph Stalin’s USSR. The emergence of a dictatorship … Continued

World War II memory is a staple of Russian identity in the contemporary era. It occupies a cult-like status, legitimising the Kremlin's rule at home and its actions abroad. This has been abundantly clear since the invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, with Russian elites and media frequently invoking memory of the war. Much of this … Continued

As part of Russia’s geopolitical struggle and war with the West, the Kremlin seeks to destabilise the Balkans, particularly former Yugoslavia. Russia has applied a full spectrum of hybrid warfare activities to the Balkans supporting Serbian nationalism in Kosovo and Montenegro, seeking to undermine the Greek-Macedonian agreement on a name change for the latter,  fomented … Continued

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has launched an investigation into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The investigation has been backed by an unprecedented number of countries. Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor for the ICC, has committed to staring the investigation as soon as possible. What can we expect to be the outcome of the investigation, and do … Continued

With the UK’s departure from the EU, the British government has regained significant policymaking powers over immigration and borders. Five years on from the referendum, and a year after the end of the transition period, we can now see the first signs of a post-Brexit border regime for Britain. Net migration from non-EU countries reached … Continued

The UK is lagging behind the world in recognising the Armenian Genocide. Democratic nations including the United States, France, and Germany have recognised it, as have the devolved parliaments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. And yet, we have failed to do so, citing reasons that include: the fact that the term “genocide” did not exist … Continued

The Sewell report on race and ethnic disparities, authored by the Commission on Race & Ethnic Disparities (CRED), caused quite a stir. While some considered it to be a much-needed intervention in Britain’s race-relations conversation, others accused the report of trivialising the impact of racism in modern-day Britain. The Sewell report, as well as describing … Continued