The latest poll published by the Group for Analyzing and Measuring Opinion Trends in Iran indicates the emergence of a shift in religious beliefs in the Islamic Republic towards secularism. Read more.

Fire in Moria camp displaced thousands of refugees residing in it; something that requires a review of European asylum policy.

Macron’s efforts in Lebanon collide with the Lebanese political reality and France’s image as a former colonial power.

Arab leaders are cautious towards normalization with Israel due to the Arab public opinion towards Palestine.

The UAE deal has different dimensions on the Arab-Israeli relations and the relations between Arab rulers and their people. To learn more about these dimensions, click the link.

There is a sense that all parties want to take advantage of this, onshore and offshore, before the US elections. It is oddly this vacuum, rather than fossil fuels, that is fanning regional rivalries. With the US withdrawn, Moscow continuing its opaque brinkmanship and the EU split over Turkey, the scene is unfortunately set for more instability to come.

A stable truce in Libya needs an efficient arms embargo. The ultimate beneficiaries of such an embargo – the Libyan population – are unlikely to see any improvements soon. The years of international meddling have led to many countries having steadfast interests in Libya, and as it currently stands, no one is willing to take losses.

Sadly, these developments coupled with a worldwide crisis of leadership may well worsen before a new generation of leaders can rise and try in earnest to resolve many of these conflicts humanely, passionately and equitably to ensure their durability.

Power-sharing institutions need not be as narrowly prescribed as they currently are in Lebanon. These protests are a critical moment for the start of a national conversation on how to expand the basis of inclusion in Lebanese political life. So far, protesters have joined up across sect, class and gender in a way previously considered impossible. It is this solidarity that may yet serve as the pathway towards a post-sectarian future, with or without power-sharing.

The Trump administration has, so far, refused to explain and justify its policy of targeted killing, but this latest operation further undermines international and US domestic norms against assassination is certain to set more dangerous international precedents for targeted killings.