Policy Analysis

Italian-Egyptian relations are once again at a low point, this time for the detention of Egyptian citizen Patrick Zaki—a student of at an Italian university—and the question of what role foreign powers in general, and Italy in particular, can play in stopping human rights abuses in Egypt.

Experts discuss how the two allies can work more closely on everything from artificial intelligence to missile defense, ideally with help from emerging Arab partners.

The diverse coalition may be able to form a viable government, but it will need to navigate carefully in light of internal political differences and Netanyahu’s presence in the opposition as a potential spoiler.

Kawader Hezbollah al-Qudama, a new electoral partner to former premier Nouri al-Maliki, is not the same as Kataib Hezbollah. It contains members of the older Islamic Resistance cells that fought Saddam and then the U.S.-led coalition after 2003. Maliki is gathering marginal resistance figures to him and Kataib Hezbollah has still not openly shown its hand in parliamentary politics.

Ahd Allah Islamic Movement is a social and cultural movement built around Kataib Hezbollah ideologue Seyyed Hashem al-Haidari.

By dismissing the Zarif tape and calling for further securitization of government decisionmaking, the officials truly in charge of Iranian foreign policy are previewing what negotiators and neighbors can expect from Tehran for the foreseeable future.

Parochial interests and war fatigue are driving many member states to support premature elections and normalization with Damascus, but this approach will only consolidate Assad’s control and help him evade accountability for war crimes.

Iran's post-Natanz face-saving effort saw the Iraqi muqawama falsely claim retaliation attacks against Israeli and U.S. targets in Iraq, underlining a case of centralized Iranian direction of muqawama information operations, and coordination of Iraqi muqawama actions with broader kinetic operations by Iran's Axis of Resistance.

Islamist influences, independent candidate lists, and low participation rates all threaten the success of Algeria's upcoming legislative elections.

Benefitting from offshore natural gas reserves should be a win-win situation, but in this case the players may turn it into a zero-sum game.

If only to avoid far worse outcomes, Washington should reject Assad’s bogus “reelection” and keep supporting Israeli strikes, the SDF’s viability, and refugee aid.

Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada is a splinter of Kataib Hezbollah that works directly with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and which has a transnational focus on the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance's shared regional agenda.

Interest in a strong military president is growing in unexpected sectors, but such an outcome is more likely to strengthen Khamenei’s power than drastically reform the system.

The Sharia Youth Gathering is an umbrella movement of social service, cultural, sports, and scouting organizations that is effectively controlled by Kataib Hezbollah (KH) through a cadre of KH-linked commanders.

​​​​​​​The foreign minister had much to say about the IRGC branch’s political interference at home and close relations with Moscow, and the regime has done nothing to dispute his account so far.

Imam Hussein Scouts Association is Kataib Hezbollah’s youth organization and an affiliate of Lebanese Hezbollah's Kashaf al-Imam Mahdi youth movement.

Russian-Turkish compromise in Syria puts Syrian Kurds in a dangerous position.

As the risks of holding Palestinian elections come into focus, a Palestinian Authority decision to postpone the elections will increase tensions on the ground while highlighting structural flaws within Fatah and the PA.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is a major fasail (armed group) in Iraq, which self-identifies as part of Iran's Axis of Resistance but which stubbornly maintains some independence of action from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Qods Force. It has numerous cells undertaking kinetic, media and social operations, some of which are bankrolled by the Iraqi state.

Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba proved its Axis of Resistance credentials in Syria but its role in terrorism and repression within Iraq is more enigmatic.