middle east
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Carla B. Abdo-Katsipis Should the United States confront Iran or pursue diplomacy? Should Washington stand unequivocally with Israel or place greater emphasis on protecting Palestinian civilians? Should military success be measured by targets destroyed or by political outcomes achieved? American debates over the Middle East increasingly present these questions as binary choices. Yet five University… Read more
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Carla B. Abdo-Katsipis The latest exchange between Washington and Tehran may ultimately be remembered less for the missiles that were launched than for the strategic questions they raised across the Arabian Peninsula. Following renewed American strikes inside Iran, Tehran responded by targeting facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait while simultaneously placing the region on notice that… Read more
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Carla B. Abdo-Katsipis Introduction Military force can reshape the strategic environment of a conflict, but it rarely determines the political order that follows. Battlefield success may restore deterrence, alter the balance of power, or compel adversaries to reconsider their choices. Lasting peace, however, depends on institutions capable of implementing agreements, governments able to exercise legitimate… Read more
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Carla B. Abdo-Katispis Introduction For much of the past half-century, the United States and Israel have maintained one of the closest bilateral relationships in modern international politics. Their partnership rests on an extensive network of military cooperation, intelligence sharing, diplomatic coordination, technological innovation, and shared democratic institutions. American military assistance has helped preserve Israel’s qualitative… Read more
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Carla B. Abdo-Katsipis For nearly seven years, U.S.-Turkey relations have been defined by mistrust. Turkey’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system in 2019 led to its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), and one of the deepest crises in bilateral relations… Read more
Real Middle East Politics 