A war meant to bend Tehran now traps Washington The Iranian crisis now carries all the familiar features of recent Western wars: overwhelming technological superiority, deep-strike capabilities, enormous military spending and, at the same time, uncertain political results, sometimes opposite to the stated goals. The United States has…
Posts tagged as “Middle East”
Iran, the Geography of Attrition and the New War of Corridors Why Tehran Is Weaker, but No Less Central The temptation is strong: to look at Iran today, observe sanctions, oil difficulties, American military pressure, the rise of Turkey, the energy reorganization of the Gulf, and conclude that…
No Longer a Local Crisis, but a Fracture in the System In the Western narrative, the war against Iran was supposed to be rapid, surgical, almost didactic: a few well-placed strikes, some infrastructure hit, a destabilized chain of command, and the usual belief that technological and military pressure…
Permanent War as the Architecture of the Middle East Syria did not collapse in a week. It collapsed under nearly thirty years of strategic pressure, thirteen years of war, and a long sequence of sanctions, infiltrations, covert operations, bombings, economic attrition, and diplomatic isolation. The gravest mistake would…
Myriam Benraad, political scientist and professor of international relations at Schiller International University, analyzes in her reflection note published by the Centre Français de Recherche sur le Renseignement (CF2R) the risks of “de-Assadization” in Syria. Drawing parallels with the controversial “de-Baathification” of post-2003 Iraq, the author highlights how…
This isn’t a spy movie or a Netflix series. It’s Syria in 2024. After years of civil war, dictatorships, and foreign meddling, the country delivers yet another surreal chapter. At the helm of Syrian Intelligence now stands a figure worthy of the worst nightmares: Abu Ahmed Hudood, also…
The presence of Hezbollah in West Africa is not a recent phenomenon but a striking example of how the Lebanese Shia movement has expanded its network far beyond the Middle East. Through a sophisticated web of economic activities, illicit trafficking, and connections with the Lebanese Shia diaspora, Hezbollah…
Kuwait and France: A Long-Standing Defense Relationship in Transition Kuwait and France share a long-standing defense relationship rooted in historical ties and mutual strategic interests. Over the decades, this partnership has contributed significantly to Kuwait’s security and regional stability. While Kuwait values France’s defense expertise and technological contributions,…
The Evolution of American Public Diplomacy in Global Conflicts: From Soft Power to Digital Diplomacy
Public diplomacy, soft power, hard power, United States, war on terror, Obama, Bush, Hillary Clinton, China, global competition, digital diplomacy, media, Middle East, ISIS, Belt and Road Initiative, technological innovation, education, public-private partnerships, foreign policy The Diversity of American Public Diplomacy and Its Influence on International Conflicts American…