James M. Dorsey
ARTICLES BY: James M. Dorsey
For Turkey and Iran, Soft Power Is More Difficult Than Hard Power
The times, they are a changin’. Iranian leaders may not be Bob Dylan fans, but his words are likely to resonate, as the mullahs contemplate...
Iran Poll Contains Different Messages for Biden and Raisi
“It’s the economy, stupid.” That is the message of a just-published survey of Iranian public opinion. However, the substance of the message differs for newly elected hard-line...
What Are America’s True Interests in the Middle East?
The future of US engagement in the Middle East hangs in the balance. Two decades of war in Afghanistan, and continued military engagement in Iraq and...
Is the US Withdrawal From the Middle East a Good Thing?
It may not have been planned or coordinated, but efforts by Middle Eastern states to dial down tensions in the region serve as an example...
Gulf Security: It’s Not All Bad News
Gulf states are in a pickle. They fear that the emerging parameters of a reconfigured US commitment to security in the Middle East threaten to upend...
Reducing Middle East Tensions Can Decrease Sectarianism and Opens Doors for Women
Two separate developments involving improved relations between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and women’s sporting rights demonstrate major shifts in how the rivalry for leadership of...
Think Afghanistan Is a Problem? Look at Pakistan
Societal struggles and reforms often take unexpected turns in vast swaths of land stretching from the Middle East into Central Asia. Take education for example. The Taliban...
Saudi Social and Economic Changes Require a Delicate Balancing Act
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)’s vision for the kingdom’s future will have to balance a fine line between redefining the Saudi social contract...
Is the UAE-Israel Relationship Being Built on Questionable Assumptions?
A year of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel has proven to be mutually beneficial. The question is whether the assumptions...
Afghanistan Has Lessons for the Gulf
The Gulf states appear to be stuck, for the time being, with a less committed US. That reality will push them to compensate for uncertainty over...
Initial Taliban Moves Don’t Convince Afghanistan’s Neighbors of a New Regime
The Taliban’s record in recent weeks on making good on promises to respect human and women’s rights as well as uphold freedom of the press...
Will China Give Iran Another Leg Up?
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan may help Iran reduce its international isolation. At least, that’s what the Islamic Republic hopes when leaders of the Shanghai...
Taliban Victory Threatens to Be a Double-Edged Sword for Pakistan
The notion that religious ultra-conservatism may not remain contained to Afghanistan may be one reason why US President Joe Biden decided to effectively abandon Central...
Afghanistan May Be a Bellwether for Saudi-Iranian Rivalry
Had the US withdrawn from Afghanistan several years earlier than it did, chances are that Saudi Arabia would have sought to exploit military advances by the...
