Sunni-Shia tension
All topics-
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt
A new dawn for diplomacy in the Middle East?
International relations are shifting across the Middle East as regional powers adapt to America's retrenchment and China's growing influence. Although the region could become the site of another great-power competition, it also has a chance to pursue diplomatic openings and new security arrangements. By Fawaz A. Gerges
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Shia minority in a Sunni state
Afghanistan's repressed Hazaras face a hostile Taliban
Following the Taliban's power grab, members of the Hazara minority fear they will be targeted. Those who can, escape. Others have joined the armed opposition. But for many, there is no way out. Report by Naomi Conrad, Birgitta Schuelke-Gill and Samad Sharif
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Yemen and the Biden administration
"After the war, Yemen will no longer be a sovereign state"
At the beginning of his term, U.S. President Joe Biden said the war in Yemen must end because it had led to a "humanitarian and strategic catastrophe". Yet, according to Said AIDailami, the war continues with unabated ferocity because the warring parties have not yet achieved their political and economic goals. Interview for Qantara.de by Claudia Mende
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US withdrawal from Iraq
Not Afghanistan: Why the US and Iraq won't leave one another
While agreeing last week to a withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq, neither Iraqi nor US leaders can admit publicly how much they need each other. By Cathrin Schaer
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New books on the Middle East
The clouds of war or the dawn of a new beginning?
German Middle East analyst Guido Steinberg and television journalist Ulrich Tilgner have both published new books on the conflicts in the Middle East. Their analyses and their forecasts for the region could not be more different. By René Wildangel
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The politics of the Pope in Iraq
Pope Francis and Ayatollah al-Sistani, meeting in faith
When Pope Francis sets foot in Iraq, he will be breaking historic ground while manoeuvring religious and political minefields. So will his foremost religious counterpart, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the Shia Muslim world’s foremost scholars and leaders. By James M. Dorsey
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Sectarian strife in Pakistan
Syria's proxy war widens gulf between Sunnis and Shias
After a period of relative calm, the conflict in Syria is reigniting the tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Pakistan: groups from both sects are involved in the clashes in Syria. The authorities fear a new wave of sectarian violence. Background by Mohammad Luqman
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Arabellion and the advent of Joe Biden
Yemen 10 years after the Arab Spring – never lose hope
Yemen's Arab Spring uprisings led to a raging civil war that has inflicted immense suffering on the population for the past seven years. Will the United States' halt on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and a new envoy help bring peace? By Jennifer Holleis
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Caught between tradition and modernity
Will ancient poet Hafez win the "soft war" in Iran?
Iran is far more modern than many people realise: our view is clouded by media distortion and the overriding political narrative. The nation’s historic and cultural riches are often overlooked. A declaration of love for Iran by Marian Brehmer
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Book review: Kim Ghattas' "Black Wave"
The rivalry that completely transformed the Middle East
In "Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the rivalry that unraveled the Middle East", Dutch Lebanese journalist Kim Ghattas describes the past 40 years in the Middle East and North Africa as a struggle for hegemony between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Throughout the book, she focuses above all on the societal dimension of this rivalry. Daniel Walter read the book
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Coronavirus in the Middle East
"Pandemic of poverty" for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
Social and economic upheaval in Lebanon in 2020 has deepened and magnified the poverty of Palestinian refugees. The country's "forgotten" Palestinians are bereft of international support and almost totally dependent on UNRWA. Lifting the restrictions on their economic status would help. By Stephen McCloskey
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Lebanon after the explosion
Beirut's aftermath – shattering as 15 years of civil war
It has been three months since the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut. Since then, inhabitants of the Lebanese capital have been struggling to return to some kind of normality. For many, however, things will never be the same again. Andrea Backhaus reports from Beirut