Recent Posts

Once Bitten, Twice Shy: The UK Must Provide a Credible Plan for Economic Engagement with Iran

Previous disappointment will lead Iran to expect greater economic certainty in any renewed nuclear negotiations. London must play its part. The Iranian nuclear deal (formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the JCPOA) has been in tatters since the administration of Donald Trump withdrew in May 2018, …

Read More »

One Down, Many More Challenges: The UK and Threats of African Terrorism

The UK is shifting its counterterrorism capability to Africa. Yet while the threat picture in Africa appears to be worsening, it remains unclear how outwardly menacing it actually is. The key question Whitehall needs to ask is whether the new deployments to Mali and Somalia appropriately reflect the global terrorist …

Read More »

The policy consequences of Arab state normalization with the Assad regime

The recent push by a number of Arab states to normalize relations with the Assad regime is based on the false premise that the war is over and it is necessary to restore ties to lobby Damascus to change its relationship with Iran. Other regional dynamics are also a factor: …

Read More »