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Morocco: Growing Questions Around a Potential Power Transition
News: A report published by Islam Times on July 1 documented Moroccan domestic reactions to a Reuters report examining succession arrangements and developments within circles surrounding the royal institution. The report…
The GERD — Why Is Egypt Setting “Conditions and Constants” Before Returning to Negotiations?
The Issue Egyptian Minister of Water Resources Hani Sewilam confirmed that Cairo will not return to any new negotiating track with Ethiopia except on the basis of clear “conditions and constants,” following an official…
Libya — Is Washington Backing the Rise of Saddam Haftar?
The Issue The meeting between Saddam Haftar and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington triggered a wide debate over whether the United States is moving to unify Libyan institutions, or providing political cover for…
Riyadh’s Syrian Bet: Security and Influence After the War
Overview: Saudi Arabia leads the field of countries pushing hardest to invest in Syria, in line with its Vision 2030 economic agenda and its drive to widen its regional footprint amid Iran’s receding influence, through…
Foreign Money, Stolen Elections: Sarkozy’s Libya Financing Case Heads Toward a Historic Verdict
The Story Closing arguments concluded in Paris on Wednesday in the appeal trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on charges of receiving illegal Libyan financing for his 2007 presidential campaign. Standing…
The Houthis and the Cost of Iran’s War
The News The Houthi movement is experiencing its deepest financial crisis since seizing Sanaa in 2014 — and the timing could not be worse. Their primary strategic backer is fighting for survival, and the financial…
A New Trade Dispute Between Washington and Brussels
The News The Trump administration raised tariffs on European cars and trucks from 15% to 25%, in a move announced on May 1, 2026. The decision comes in response to what Washington describes as the European Union’s…
Mali and the Sahel: Multi-Dimensional Regional Threat
Since April 25, 2026, Mali has been experiencing the largest coordinated attack in its modern history since the 2012 rebellion, launched jointly by al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the…
The GCC Extraordinary Consultative Summit — Jeddah
Context and Timing The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council held an extraordinary consultative summit in Jeddah on Tuesday to discuss regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions between the United States…
Iran and Hormuz: A Map of Gulf Divisions
When Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in direct retaliation for the American-Israeli strikes on its territory that began on February 28, 2026, it did not merely shut down a maritime corridor — it laid bare a deep…
Turkey / Israel: From Verbal Rivalry to the Brink of Confrontation
The News Israeli and Turkish leaders have engaged in an unprecedented exchange of attacks on social media. On April 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of…
Iran-Port Sudan Military Coordination, and the Channels It Operates Through
The News Federal authorities arrested Shamim Mafi, 44, an Iranian national and lawful permanent resident of California since 2016, at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday, April 18, 2026. She is charged with…