01 Oct 2020

US Troops Pulling Out Of Iraq?

On Wednesday, September 30, 2020, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein declared that Baghdad is “not happy” with a “dangerous” threat by Washington to pull its troops and diplomats out of Iraq. “A US withdrawal could lead to further pullouts” by members of the US-led coalition fighting
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29 Sep 2020

The Evolution Of The Lasting Crisis In Lebanon

Forming a government seems like an impossible task for Lebanon since the Prime Minister-designate Moustapha Adib quit on Saturday, September 26, 2020, after failing to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to the French plan aimed at rallying sectarian leaders to tackle the country’s cris
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28 Sep 2020

Dissolution of the Jordanian Parliament

On Sunday, September 27, 2020, the Jordanian King Abdullah II dissolved the Parliament through royal decree as of Sunday and with another royal decree, a new Senate was appointed, headed by former Prime Minister Faisal Al Fayez. The country was already meant to have parliamentary elections organized
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24 Sep 2020

East Mediterranean Gas Forum Becomes An Organisation

On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), headquartered in Cairo, was officially turned into a regional organization (through an online conference) by the seven-member states (Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, and the Palestinians). As such, the charter
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23 Sep 2020

Towards the Formation of a New Lebanese Government?

Despite surpassing the deadline imposed by France for the formation of a new government (September 14, 2020), Lebanon has not yet reached a conclusion to the internal political crisis.  On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, France’s foreign ministry warned Lebanon’s political forces that the coun
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22 Sep 2020

Refusal Of The Rotating Presidency Of The Arab League By Palestine

On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, the Palestinian foreign minister declared that Palestine has quit its current chairmanship of Arab League meetings, condemning as dishonorable any Arab agreement to establish formal ties with Israel. This comes in the context in which Palestinians see the accords b
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21 Sep 2020

US and the “Snapback” Provision in the JCPOA

On Saturday, September 19, 2020, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that all UN sanctions against Iran were “back in effect” under the “snapback” provision in the JCPOA. The claim came 30 days after Pompeo notified the UN Security Council (UNSC) of what he called Iran’s “signifi
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