The Popular Mobilization Forces and the 2025 Elections: Hybridity, Legitimacy, and Internal and External Pressures
As the legislative elections approach, debates on the future of the Iraqi state resurface around the role of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF / Hashd al-Shaabi) and their ability to redraw the boundary between state and non-state power in post-2014 Iraq. Understanding their nature is essential to grasp the pressures weighing on their existence and […]
The Paradox of Ending Militias in the Middle East
In the Middle East, militias are a complex and long-standing issue. Depending on a variety of factors, militias may rise and collapse. However, it is difficult to see the Middle East without militias. Why?
Hegemony or Normalization: Israel’s Future in the Middle East
Article written by Jérome Chapuisat and Hussam Al Mallak. The war led by Israel and its allies deepens regional instability and revives the debate on Israel’s role in the Middle East.
Tom Barrack: The Tragedy of Homecoming
One of the defining features of the modern Middle East is the influence, not only of external actors, but also of individuals who played decisive roles (directly and indirectly) in shaping the region’s map. While Tom Barrack shares certain traits with these influential figures, he also differs from them in many ways. President Trump nominated Tom […]
The ‘Twelve-Day War’: Initial repercussions on the Gulf
A historic shift The confrontation between the State of Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) in June 2025 marks an acceleration in the reshaping of the Middle Eastern strategic landscape set in motion by the October 7, 2023 attacks, heightening the long-standing concerns of the Arab Gulf states of being drawn into a […]