“Women, Life, Freedom”: A German feminist foreign policy towards Iran Analysis In Iran, feminist foreign policy demands both short-term interventions to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population and a long-term approach to deal with the state’s structural violence against its own citizens. By Barbara Mittelhammer and Cornelius Adebahr
The Taliban are back in control: what next for Afghan migration in and outside of the country? Background The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in recent days has brought new dimensions of human suffering and political crisis. Afghans are fearful of encountering hostile environments in their neighbouring countries and, in the case of Pakistan, possible security threats for ethnic and religious minorities. By Dr. Sanaa Alimia
After the assassination of Soleimani - an analysis Analysis In a targeted missile strike on 3 January of this year, the US killed the Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force and hence the most important strategist behind Iran’s military engagement in the region. Our Heads of Office in Washington, Beirut and Tel Aviv take us through the significance of the recent events for Iran-US relations and the wider Middle East. By Dr. Anja Hoffmann, Joachim Paul, Steffen Hagemann and Bastian Hermisson
'The EU has to invest more to avoid further escalation of the existing crises.' - An interview on the US-Iran conflict Interview After the assassination of Iran’s high General Qassem Soleimani by the US on Friday 3rd January 2020 in Iraq, the already very strained situation between the US and Iran, became even more critical. Head of Global Transformation Programme at Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Brussels European Union, Anna Schwarz, spoke to MEP Hannah Neumann (Greens/EFA) about how the EU is to react to the further escalating conflict between the US and Iran. By Hannah Neumann and Anna Schwarz
The unequal brothers – Turkey, Iran and the nuclear dispute Article Turkey and Iran have traditionally had a strained relationship. On the one hand, this can be clearly seen in their rivalry for predominance in the region, but on the other, it is shot through with the need for neighbourly cooperation. By Kristian Brakel
The Gulf Crisis in Lebanon: Head in the sand Article The attention of the entire Middle East and Gulf region is focussed on Iran. Only in Lebanon there appears to be a lack of interest in the conflict. By Joachim Paul
Foreign policy as a balancing act Article Russia’s policy in the Middle East is geared strictly to the country’s interests: to fulfil its role as a major power, stabilise the region and minimise every risk as much as possible. This offers opportunities By Johannes Voswinkel
Playing with fire: are the US and Iran risking war? Dossier Iran and the US are at loggerheads again – and not only at diplomatic level. In this dossier, our heads of office and experts report from the flashpoints of the conflict.
America’s Iran Policy: Between War-Weariness and Military Escalation Article Donald Trump is caught in a deadlock of his own making. He does not want to find himself responsible for a new war in the Middle East right in the middle of an election campaign. At the same time, he wants to look like a tough guy who never backtracks. This is what is making the situation so unpredictable. By Bastian Hermisson
Brothers in Spirit? Trump, Netanyahu and the Conflict with Iran Article The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is supporting and encouraging Trump’s confrontational stance towards Iran. However, a military escalation would be extremely dangerous for Israel. By Steffen Hagemann
