Middle East & North Africa
28 Mar 2024 - 13:19
Source: General view of Isfahan Refinery, one of the largest refineries in Iran. ©Reuters
Iran and Gaza in regional perspective: winning the battle, but losing the war?
05 Mar 2024 - 18:50
Source: Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian meets with Palestinian group Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, February 13, 2024. ©Reuters
7 October and its aftermath have enabled Iran to realize gains in the security dimension of its regional policy as well as creating a number of longer-term risks to its economic and security situation.
How Syria, Ukraine and Gaza are transforming power dynamics in the Caucasus
19 Feb 2024 - 17:00
Source: ©Shutterstock
In 2017, Iran, Turkey and Russia met in Astana in a bid to determine the future of the Syrian Arab Republic without Western participation. As a byproduct of this episode, they started to develop a strategic policy understanding between themselves regarding the Levant: especially Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Since then, the war in Ukraine has broadened Iranian, Russian and Turkish cooperation to include the Caucasus.
Het Midden-Oosten: Van smeulende brandjes naar laaiend inferno?
08 Feb 2024 - 11:13
Source: Een Iraanse man zwaait met een Iraanse vlag en een Palestijnse vlag tijdens een anti-Israel protest in Teheran, 14 mei 2023 / Reuters
Het eerste probleem is de omstreden plaats van Iran in het Midden-Oosten. Qua ligging en omvang is dit land een regionale grootmacht.
The Sepah: Guardian of its self-interests since 1979
29 Jan 2024 - 11:19
Source: ©Reuters - Iranian revolutionary guard corps pray during Friday prayers in Tehran, 2005
“Where some states have an army, the Prussian Army has a state,” Voltaire famously said of Prussia by the end of Frederick William I’s reign. The French philosopher’s dictum is also largely true for the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, colloquially referred to in Iran as the “Sepah”.
Source: Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon in southern Israel October 10, 2023.Reuters
To navigate through the latest news and place the events in a broader perspective, we have created a compilation of our latest publications, videos and 'in the media' expert comments.
Source: Accents of Shi'ism. Clingendael
This Clingendael podcast series explores how the evolution of the Shi’i political identity has grappled between a history of marginalization and a more recent revived empowerment. How Shi’ism uses Ashura ceremonies as a physical and spiritual space to govern community ideals and perpetuate political values. It investigates religious leadership's real power and influence in Shi’ism.
Source: Christmas Reads 2023 Clingendael
Looking back on the eventful year of 2023 with Clingendael’s publications
With 2023 coming to a close, look back with us on the year, and make sure to (re)read some of Clingendael's most read publications.
Source: Expert insights: Climate and COP28. Source: Reuters
Iranian reactions to 7/10 and the invasion of Gaza
30 Nov 2023 - 14:56
Source: ©Reuters - Protesters burn the Israeli flag during an anti-Israel protest in Tehran, Iran, November 18, 2023