Al Majalla covered the situation in Iran last week following weeks of unrest and anti-government protests. But even though demonstrations have since fizzled out and the prospect of a US-Israeli attack on Iran looks to have been put on the back burner for now, the situation remains volatile. Omer Onhon pens a piece titled Iran's regime may not be falling, but it is fading. In it, he says, “While the Iranian opposition is disparate, lacking unity or cohesiveness, they remain brave and determined.”

Switching gears, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy pens a piece titled Trump's retreat from multilateralism throws up a host of challenges. In it, he says, “Going forward, the international community needs to reduce dependence on the US without upsetting the world's largest military and economic power. It will be a shaky tightrope to walk.” For his part, Elie Kossaifi interviews the prominent French jurist Monique Chemillier-Gendreau, who argues that Israeli and Western duplicity and violations of international law have eroded and effectively collapsed the rule of law. 

And Abdullah F. Alrebh breaks down Trump’s war on CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood after his decision to designate the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as “terrorist” groups, citing alleged support for “activities against Israeli interests in the Middle East" as the reason. And Stefanie Butendieck Hijerra pens a piece titled The Donroe Doctrine and the new hemispheric order. In it, she says, “Pressure builds on Venezuela after Trump appoints himself 'acting president'. With Colombia, Mexico and Cuba seemingly also in the line of fire, they will be closely watching what happens in Caracas.”  For his part, Stephen M. Walt explains why The ‘Donroe Doctrine’ makes no sense, pointing to the fact that “No great power has a significant military role in the Western Hemisphere at present or is trying to establish one.”

And, bringing it back to the region, Ibrahim Hamidi examines how the battle for the state is reshaping regional alliances. In his piece, he says, “From Yemen and Syria to Sudan and Libya, there is a concerted effort to reassert state authority and thwart moves toward the proliferation of quasi-states and fragmentation.” For his part, Kamal Alam explains how Pakistan has emerged as a Middle East power broker. Read his piece to learn about all the countries it has boosted cooperation with and why this matters. In Business, Mohammed Sharki looks at how Arab states are taking a chunk of the global green hydrogen market, while Sharif Mohammad writes on Saudi Arabia’s move to loosen restrictions on foreign investors. 

And last but not least, in Culture, El-Sayed Hussein interviews veteran Egyptian novelist and the first winner of the new BRICS Literature Award, Salwa Bakr, who tackles societal changes, political Islam, and why she never re-reads her novels. For his part, Ali Almuqri interviews Yemeni novelist Habib Abdulrab Sarori, who talks science, uncertainty, and the role of fiction in questioning inherited narratives of progress.