From Iraq to Lebanon, Iran’s hard-won empire is ablaze. As anti-government protests spread like wildfire threatening the Islamic Republic’s allies and proxies, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is facing a dilemma: Should Iran, itself subjected to severe U.S. economic sanctions, use its scarce resources to stabilize allies and proxies in the region and thereby […]

In 2020 Germany’s fragile government will become increasingly ineffective, but the members of its governing coalition, worried about a weak electoral performance, will be motivated to avoid early general elections. The pace of German economic growth will likely continue to be slow in 2020, but divisions within the government will prevent Berlin from introducing a […]

Recently international media has been dominated by the hot topic of Russia expanding its role in global politics. However there is currently one geopolitical battle that is barely noticeable to the mainstream media. What it involves is redistribution of spheres of influence in the Orthodox world. Until recently the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) looked like […]

Burning tires block roads in Baghdad during protests on Oct. 5, 2019. Issues including corruption, poor public services and unemployment have fomented public anger at the Iraqi government. Its options for responding will come at a cost. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images) HIGHLIGHTS Popular anger at lingering political and economic grievances is bound to keep […]

With the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China now past, the period of greatest danger is upon Hong Kong. Beijing, no longer worried about spoiling the festivities, might be more inclined to use force against Hong Kong. Of course, there are many good reasons for Beijing to resist that urge, including damage […]

On the territorial fringes of the alliance, where European military might is at its thinnest, an overconfident Putin might exploit the weakness to conduct a new “hybrid” war. They came trundling through the town of Voronezh in western Russia in broad daylight on Oct. 3. Green army vehicles on flatbed train cars, apparently heading west, toward […]

HIGHLIGHTS The legacy that the deceased Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has left differs greatly from the one he aspired to. Al-Baghdadi oversaw the widening of a rift in the jihadist movement that now often results in open combat between al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The militant leader also institutionalized sectarian attacks, the […]