Eleonora Ardemagni, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore - Catholic University of Milan
Long a well-kept secret, the archipelago of Socotra is one of the most biodiverse on earth. But the Emirates have other plans for its main island, with which it has long cultivated ties.
In federal parliament, there are “friendship” groups for almost everything, from AUKUS to arthritis, and for many countries. Three groups are particularly relevant at the moment – Friends of Palestine…
Turkey and Israel exchanged tit-for-tat diplomatic withdrawals over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s pro-Hamas stance in the regional conflict. But behind that, the picture is more nuanced.
The Israeli attack on Gaza is undermining the West’s international standing, offering opportunities for China to enhance its regional and global diplomatic influence.
While Iran is wary of entering into direct war with Israel, Tehran has been lending support to Yemen’s Houthis, Irak’s Shia militias as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah.
A decade of de-escalation among Gulf states could be at risk if Israel-Hamas violence spills across region. And that could threaten Saudi plans to transform the kingdom.
The current war in Gaza is an argument in favour of a multipolar world, one in which the U.S. has less influence and other powers can act as countervailing forces.
The US response to 9/11 included a declaration that America would destroy its enemies. The effort took decades, and thousands of lives on both sides, and never really succeeded.