The US-Iran agreement is far more than an understanding to end a months-long war that thrust the Strait of Hormuz back to the forefront of global concern. It marks a pivotal moment—one that forces a re-examination of the Middle East’s political, security, and economic landscape and raises questions that extend well beyond the battlefield.

What is at stake is not simply whether the war has ended, but whether the region is on the cusp of a new regional order. Will the deal and potential new security order pave the way for better regional relations with Iran or revive old tensions and conflicts?

Globalization of Falafel

The Kerfuffle Over Food and Cultural Identity by Ghada Fathi The relationship between food and identity is inextricable. History books are full of “sha’abi foods” for almost all nations, and…

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The War After ISIS

[caption id="attachment_55254119" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (C) attends Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's (not seen) meeting with…

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The Race for Deir Ez’zor

[caption id="attachment_55254116" align="aligncenter" width="900"] A convoy of US forces armoured vehicles drives in Syria on March 5, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN [/caption] Are the…

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The Names of Jihad

A Guide to ISIS' Noms de Guerre by Vera Mironova The situation was solemn, but hidden smiles played behind the eyes of those listening in. An Islamic State (ISIS) fighter was yelling for his…

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Britain’s Obstacles to Brexit

[caption id="attachment_55254034" align="aligncenter" width="900"] TOPSHOT - People walk over Westminster Bridge wrapped in Union flags, towards the Queen Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and The Houses of…

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Reading Xi Jinping

[caption id="attachment_55254045" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Xi Jinping[/caption] The Link Between His Economic Policies and Censorship by Weifeng Zhong In preparation for the Chinese…

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Merkel's Next Challenge

[caption id="attachment_55254051" align="aligncenter" width="970"] French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hamburg, Germany, July 2017.  […

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Hezbollah’s Refugee Quandary

[caption id="attachment_55254014" align="aligncenter" width="900"] MAJDAL ANJAR, LEBANON - NOVEMBER 12: A displaced Syrian child is viewedin a makeshift camp for Syrian refugees only miles from the…

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Turkey's Patchwork Foreign Policy

Between Islamism and Pragmatism [caption id="attachment_55254000" align="aligncenter" width="1758"] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin…

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