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Afghan opposition will struggle to remain relevant

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

Meanwhile, long-standing opposition groups such as the National Resistance Front (NRF) and Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) have re-launched armed campaigns within Afghanistan.

Engaging with Afghanistan will get harder for West

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

This was a reference to criticism of Taliban rule by certain international players. While engagement between the emirate and the West remains limited, the Taliban are drawing…

Iran’s opposition will struggle to gain global support

Location:

IRAN

Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah of Iran, is taking advantage of the increasing isolation of Iran from Western governments. However, a coherent opposition grouping that has…

Tehran will prioritise conservative consolidation

Location:

IRAN

Many centrist and reformist candidates have been disqualified or declined to stand. This, together with the poor state of the economy and resentment over money spent abroad on…

Iraqi Kurdistan will face dilemmas over federal ties

Location:

IRAQ

Long-time Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and new Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) chief Bafel Talabani discussed how to form a common front over…

Squabbling Syrian rebels will avoid showdown

Location:

SYRIA

In Damascus, HTS collaborated with more moderate groups from the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Elsewhere, however, the rebels are deeply divided. HTS, the latest avatar of the former…

Iranian anger at US pandemic sanctions may be enduring

Location:

IRAN

Public health structures were developed and expanded over four decades of war and isolation, allowing them to mobilise effectively against COVID-19 despite the negative impacts of…

Riyadh may agree to Yemen talks, but in its own time

Location:

YEMEN/SAUDI ARABIA

Prior to that, medical sources had reported 150 deaths in the space of 24 hours in fighting in the city. Washington and London are putting renewed pressure on Saudi Arabia and the…

Yemen war may see a lull, but peace prospects are poor

Location:

YEMEN

This complicates direct talks that began recently between Saudi Arabia and the Huthis on a resolution to the wider conflict. Meanwhile, the first visible signs of progress in…

Local fiefdoms will undermine Syrian service provision

Location:

SYRIA

Syria’s civil war is fought not just with bombs and bullets, but with salaries and services. The government has been able to win this aspect of the war by denying services to…