It is difficult to not worry about the stability and even survival of Jordan these days. Escalating Israeli aggression in the West Bank and political momentum towards annexation puts the Kingdom squarely in the crosshairs of potentially massive refugee flows, violence, and instability. The failure of Syria's post-Assad
This week marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution, which for all the pain and suffering which followed still marks a momentous moment in Middle Eastern history and a model of social mobilization and protest organization that continues to inspire. For meaningful reflection on the extraordinary events of 2011,
I watched Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis murder a man on Saturday. The killing was captured by multiple videos from several angles, and all tell the same undisputable story. As with their smearing of Renee Good a few weeks ago, I watched Trump administration officials immediately label Alex Pretti a
The twists and turns in the rapidly evolving Middle Eastern order continue to unfold. Syria's SDF suddenly collapsed across much of its territory and signed a ceasefire with the Syrian government, potentially heralding an important advance in the consolidation of a centralized state – but one that is not
All signs point to an imminent American bombing attack on Iran, ostensibly in support of protestors challenging the regime. Such a military intervention in search of regime change has long been a fantasy for Iran hawks. We've been debating this all purpose policy demand for all seasons since
I'm delighted to announce the launch of the fifteenth (!) season of the Middle East Political Science Podcast! For over a decade, I've been hosting authors of new books and articles in the field to talk about their research – 290 episodes heading into the new season. Last
Relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have over the last week erupted into an incredibly nasty and heated conflict eerily reminiscent of their joint 2017 campaign against Qatar. The most immediate cause was an ill-advised bid by the UAE-backed STC to take control of several key Yemeni provinces which
Middle East Politics and the Academy
I've just returned from a whirlwind trip to Denmark and Norway, where I gave four book talks – a million thanks to the University of Copenhagen and DIIS, Aarhus University, NUPI and the University of Oslo – about America's Middle East: The Ruination of a Region. I also
I have a new piece out in Foreign Policy (gift link) arguing against the Trump administration's executive order designating branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations. It was a strange piece to write, in some ways. I've been engaged in the academic and policy debate
I'm delighted to announce the publication of POMEPS Studies 57 Syria After Assad on the anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad one year ago. There have been a number of really good, thoughtful and critical pieces published in conjunction with the anniversary (from our political science community
I spent last weekend at the annual meeting of the Middle East Studies Association in Washington DC – the first in-person meeting of MESA in several years, and a much needed one for an embattled academic community. MESA has been absolutely exceptional over the last several years in rising to the
Plus Syria, Title VI investigations, and a full roundup from the MENA Academy The war in Sudan is decidely not a nihilistic "war about nothing", argues Khaled Mustafa Medani in a tour de force article in the Fall 2025 issue of the APSA's section journal MENA
Crazy things happen in world politics all the time, yes, but there really aren't many scenes as surreal as Ahmed Sharaa – not so long ago a leading jihadist insurgent in Iraq and Syria and now Syria's president – triumphantly visiting the White House. But unlike a lot
My new article for Foreign Affairs (no paywall) argues that Israel's belief that its unchecked air campaign bombing Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran with impunity can be the path to regional hegemony is a dangerous fantasy. Hegemony requires more than just military dominance – and even the military dominance
Plus a full roundup from the MENA Academy and a new publication on gender and sexuality in Africa It's time for our regular roundup of research and articles from the MENA Academy and it's a really rich crop! But first, I'm delighted to share
It is difficult to share Trump’s optimism that the cease-fire has unlocked a broader transformation of the Middle East—or even that it will survive contact with reality on the ground in Gaza. I have a new article out in Foreign Policy (the first I've published there
Plus the latest from the MENA Academy Last week, the Trump White House announced a somewhat odd 20 point peace plan for Gaza; the language was so casual and the key points so vague that I at first assumed that it was just a public summary of the real document,
Plus another roundup from the MENA academy! For most of the first two years of Israel's devastating war on Gaza it avoided paying serious costs despite the mounting expert consensus that its campaign involved at the least major war crimes and potentially amounted to genocide. The historic rulings
Plus, major new surveys of Syrian public opinion and German academics. Britain, France, Canada and Portugal have now officially recognized the State of Palestine, in one of the first really major political consequences of Israel's horrific war on Gaza. At one level, this is a major symbolic moment,