Tag: Middle East

The death of longtime al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in late July in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul marked the end of an era. Zawahiri’s roots in the global jihad movement go back decades to his tenure with the Islamic Jihad in Egypt. He was one of the last veteran jihadists to work closely with Osama bin Laden. Zawahiri’s death […]

Afghanistan’s economy and people have suffered significant setbacks and hardships since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. […]

The leaders of Western industrialized nations have acknowledged that isolating Russia economically for its invasion of Ukraine has significant adverse consequences for their economies, including dramatic increases in the prices of oil and natural gas. Europe faces potential shortages of natural gas this winter, as Russia restricts its supplies in retaliation for European support for Ukraine. U.S. and European political […]

The deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan is approaching fast, set for this May, despite high levels of violence. However, few believe the Biden administration will follow through, arguing that the Taliban has not held up its end of the deal to reduce violence. […]

After more than 40 years since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, no U.S. strategy has yet successfully addressed the broad range of threats posed by Iran. From the outset U.S.-Iran relations have been fraught with mistrust, animosity, threats, and occasional hostilities, interspersed with periods of negotiation and even tacit cooperation in selected circumstances. […]