The signing of a long-anticipated nuclear deal between Iran and Western states has generated a palpable sense of optimism, as the country stands to gain much from the prospective lifting of economic sanctions. However, because the deal does little to restrain Iran's involvement in Middle Eastern proxy conflicts, significant scepticism remains, writes…
As assumptions about the apparent success of operations against Islamic State are challenged by the group's recent victories, the Iraqi government is running out of options, writes Julian Karssen.
While international efforts to cut Islamic State's funding over the past nine months have focused mainly on illicit oil revenues, the group's most valuable asset has proved to be the population living within its territories, writes Julian Karssen.
With elections set to take place on 7 June, ambitious and risky manoeuvring by Turkey's political parties means that more is at stake than parliamentary seats, writes Julian Karssen.
The ongoing civil war in Yemen has been portrayed in the media as an extension of the regional sectarian-based rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'a Iran. However, this threatens to simplify what is at its core a local conflict involving diverse factions and motivations, writes Julian Karssen.
The recent intensification of activity by the Islamic State in Libya has prompted fears of a recurrence of the group's rapid expansion across Iraq and Syria. However, Libya's armed factions are not likely to accommodate a repeat performance by the extremist group, writes Julian Karssen.
Recent demonstrations in the town of Ma'an have highlighted the threat of domestic extremism, but Jordan's most effective response to this threat may lie less with the security apparatus, and more with the state's capacity to address socio-economic marginalisation in the country's south, writes Julian Karssen.
Tunisia's fledgling government faces a challenging political, security and economic landscape and will need to combine pragmatism and compromise to realise the country's ambitions, writes Albert Arbuthnott.
The security vacuum in North Africa's Sahel region has long been a haven for various criminal and Islamist militant networks, whilst other extremist groups are known to operate around Libya and Algeria's coastal regions. The rise of Islamic State threatens to add a transnational dimension to the intent of these groups, writes Tom Crooke.
Libya is paralysed by fighting between militia groups, and the new government faces an uphill struggle in preventing a slide into chaos, writes Tom Crooke.
A full-scale election audit has restarted and, while further disruptions are likely, indications are that a new Afghan president will be appointed by the autumn. A clear mandate to govern is vital to the country's stability but continues to elude both candidates. If the final result is not accepted, the country faces political paralysis, disaffection…