ECFR MENA
@ecfrmena.bsky.social
📰 @cinziabianco.bsky.social comments on the low likelihood of a severe rupture between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, despite Saudi Arabia's new security deals, for @deutschewelle.dw.com www.dw.com/en/saudi-def...
Saudi defense deals could change Middle East security
Riyadh is in talks with Somalia, Egypt and Turkey about two new defense pacts. What impact will they have if they go ahead?
buff.ly
January 28, 2026 at 12:30 PM
📰 @cinziabianco.bsky.social comments on the low likelihood of a severe rupture between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, despite Saudi Arabia's new security deals, for @deutschewelle.dw.com www.dw.com/en/saudi-def...
📑 NEW @ecfr.eu commentary by Ellie Geranmayeh: The US is locked in a cat-and-mouse game of escalation with Iran. Europeans should work with partners in the Middle East to press Tehran & Trump towards a quick de-escalation off-ramp. Read the piece here 👇 ecfr.eu/article/trap...
Traps and limits: Why Trump bombing Iran won’t deliver what he wants – European Council on Foreign Relations
The US is locked in a cat-and-mouse game of escalation with Iran. Europeans should work with partners in the Middle East to restrain Trump’s military attacks, p
ecfr.eu
January 27, 2026 at 2:02 PM
📑 NEW @ecfr.eu commentary by Ellie Geranmayeh: The US is locked in a cat-and-mouse game of escalation with Iran. Europeans should work with partners in the Middle East to press Tehran & Trump towards a quick de-escalation off-ramp. Read the piece here 👇 ecfr.eu/article/trap...
✍️ "The mixture of private investment funds with American power and geopolitics, combined with likely opaque decision-making and financial expenditure is a recipe for kleptocratic oligarchy" writes @hlovatt.bsky.social about Trump's newly-formed Board of Peace 👇 ecfr.eu/article/welc...
Welcome to the jungle: Trump’s Board of Peace goes global – European Council on Foreign Relations
The US president’s Board of Peace has less to do with peace, in Gaza or elsewhere, and more to do with enforcing a new, transactional global order. Welcome to t
buff.ly
January 26, 2026 at 8:38 AM
✍️ "The mixture of private investment funds with American power and geopolitics, combined with likely opaque decision-making and financial expenditure is a recipe for kleptocratic oligarchy" writes @hlovatt.bsky.social about Trump's newly-formed Board of Peace 👇 ecfr.eu/article/welc...
✍️ The US president’s Board of Peace has less to do with peace, in Gaza or elsewhere, and more to do with enforcing a new, transactional global order. Welcome to the America-First Trumpian world. @hlovatt.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/welc...
Welcome to the jungle: Trump’s Board of Peace goes global – European Council on Foreign Relations
The US president’s Board of Peace has less to do with peace, in Gaza or elsewhere, and more to do with enforcing a new, transactional global order. Welcome to t
buff.ly
January 23, 2026 at 2:38 PM
✍️ The US president’s Board of Peace has less to do with peace, in Gaza or elsewhere, and more to do with enforcing a new, transactional global order. Welcome to the America-First Trumpian world. @hlovatt.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/welc...
Reposted by ECFR MENA
My longer read for @ecfr.eu on what Trump's Board of Peace means for Gaza, Europe's quest for strategic autonomy, and the future of the global order:
ecfr.eu/article/welc...
ecfr.eu/article/welc...
January 23, 2026 at 1:27 PM
My longer read for @ecfr.eu on what Trump's Board of Peace means for Gaza, Europe's quest for strategic autonomy, and the future of the global order:
ecfr.eu/article/welc...
ecfr.eu/article/welc...
Members of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which will report to the Board of Peace via High Representative Nikolay Mladenov, were announced last week. For a full breakdown, visit @ecfr.eu's Mapping Palestinian Politics project 👇 ecfr.eu/special/mapp...
BoP Inc is a Trump vanity project that has nothing to do with Gaza. But Europeans should still engage with its subsidiary Gaza Executive Committee which is aligned with UNSCR 2803 and where there is strong European representation through Nikolay Mladenov, Tony Blair & Sigrid Kaag.
January 22, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Members of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which will report to the Board of Peace via High Representative Nikolay Mladenov, were announced last week. For a full breakdown, visit @ecfr.eu's Mapping Palestinian Politics project 👇 ecfr.eu/special/mapp...
As Iran's regime uses a communications blackout to suppress nationwide protests & control information flows, French & UK governments can use their own satellite terminals to provide Iranians with independent internet access, write Ellie Geranmayeh & @giorgosverdi.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/how-...
How Europe can help Iranians break the internet shutdown – European Council on Foreign Relations
Tehran has used a communications blackout to suppress nationwide protests and control information flows. French and UK governments can use their own satellite t
buff.ly
January 22, 2026 at 12:30 PM
As Iran's regime uses a communications blackout to suppress nationwide protests & control information flows, French & UK governments can use their own satellite terminals to provide Iranians with independent internet access, write Ellie Geranmayeh & @giorgosverdi.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/how-...
✍️ A brief momentum for a Gulf front collapsed as strained Saudi-Emirati relations gave way to open rivalry, driven by mistrust and suspicions of parallel agendas. @cinziabianco.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu on the Saudi–UAE rupture and the European angle 👇 buff.ly/TUk8Evm
From partners to rivals: What the Saudi-UAE rupture means for Europeans – European Council on Foreign Relations
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and p
buff.ly
January 22, 2026 at 9:01 AM
✍️ A brief momentum for a Gulf front collapsed as strained Saudi-Emirati relations gave way to open rivalry, driven by mistrust and suspicions of parallel agendas. @cinziabianco.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu on the Saudi–UAE rupture and the European angle 👇 buff.ly/TUk8Evm
🧵1/ Iran remains under a communication blackout following a brutal crackdown of protests. Europe can tangibly help Iranians on the ground by reconnecting them to the world and reducing future internet shut downs. See @ECFR.eu's policy alert from Ellie Geranmayeh & @giorgosverdi.bsky.social 👇
January 21, 2026 at 2:26 PM
🧵1/ Iran remains under a communication blackout following a brutal crackdown of protests. Europe can tangibly help Iranians on the ground by reconnecting them to the world and reducing future internet shut downs. See @ECFR.eu's policy alert from Ellie Geranmayeh & @giorgosverdi.bsky.social 👇
🎙️ @hlovatt.bsky.social speaks to ABC News about membership of Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza, arguing that mixing states, geopolitics, and private investment funds is a recipe for corruption and international oligarchy
Governments uneasy over Trump's Gaza "Board of Peace" - ABC listen
The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join U-S President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' for Gaza. Moscow says it's studying the proposal and hoping to get further…
www.abc.net.au
January 21, 2026 at 11:43 AM
🎙️ @hlovatt.bsky.social speaks to ABC News about membership of Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza, arguing that mixing states, geopolitics, and private investment funds is a recipe for corruption and international oligarchy
📰 “It’s hard not to read this as an attempt to establish a precedent in Gaza that could be used elsewhere ... saying that Trump is going to be calling the global shots here, and you either fall in line or you’re not part of the process,” @jbdacey.bsky.social for @wsj.com www.wsj.com/world/middle...
buff.ly
January 21, 2026 at 8:42 AM
📰 “It’s hard not to read this as an attempt to establish a precedent in Gaza that could be used elsewhere ... saying that Trump is going to be calling the global shots here, and you either fall in line or you’re not part of the process,” @jbdacey.bsky.social for @wsj.com www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Investing in long-term stability and maritime security in the Middle East remains essential for Europeans, especially amid uncertainty over the American role, writes @camillelons.bsky.social buff.ly/sFCXka9
The mirage of resilience: Why energy markets cannot shake off the Middle East risk – European Council on Foreign Relations
Oil prices barely flinched after the Iran-Israel 12-day war in June, but it would be a mistake to conclude Gulf producers have lost their leverage.
buff.ly
January 16, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Investing in long-term stability and maritime security in the Middle East remains essential for Europeans, especially amid uncertainty over the American role, writes @camillelons.bsky.social buff.ly/sFCXka9
🎙️ NEW @ecfr.eu podcast: @markhleonard.bsky.social & Ellie Geranmayeh discuss the ongoing protests in #Iran & the chance of #US invasion. Listen to it here 👇 ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...
Will Trump bomb Iran? – European Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Leonard and Ellie Geranmayeh discuss the ongoing protests in Iran and the chance of US intervention
ecfr.eu
January 16, 2026 at 8:05 AM
🎙️ NEW @ecfr.eu podcast: @markhleonard.bsky.social & Ellie Geranmayeh discuss the ongoing protests in #Iran & the chance of #US invasion. Listen to it here 👇 ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...
The years-long Saudi-Emirati divergence has erupted under the pressure of rapidly shifting geopolitical conditions. Europeans need to remain alert to this constantly changing environment, while being flexible enough to adapt, writes @cinziabianco.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/from...
From partners to rivals: What the Saudi-UAE rupture means for Europeans – European Council on Foreign Relations
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and p
ecfr.eu
January 14, 2026 at 1:26 PM
The years-long Saudi-Emirati divergence has erupted under the pressure of rapidly shifting geopolitical conditions. Europeans need to remain alert to this constantly changing environment, while being flexible enough to adapt, writes @cinziabianco.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/from...
✍️ Squeezed by a brutal occupation, the dysfunctionality of the PA and the broader political system is apparent to all and each want a different fix. What is often ignored in this is what Palestinians want. @hlovatt.bsky.social & @tahanimustafa.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu buff.ly/vMeQaYr
Averting West Bank collapse: How to revive Palestinian politics – European Council on Foreign Relations
Hollowed out by violent Israeli control and Mahmoud Abbas’s personal rule, the Palestinian Authority is losing its grip on the West Bank. European and Arab stat
buff.ly
January 14, 2026 at 9:22 AM
✍️ Squeezed by a brutal occupation, the dysfunctionality of the PA and the broader political system is apparent to all and each want a different fix. What is often ignored in this is what Palestinians want. @hlovatt.bsky.social & @tahanimustafa.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu buff.ly/vMeQaYr
Reposted by ECFR MENA
1/ Read my @ecfrmena.bsky.social analysis of the big Saudi-UAE rupture. Yemen was the spark, as Riyadh really felt the Emiratis were taking them for a ride. But this is much bigger than Yemen. Even bigger than the Red Sea. It is about Israel.
👉 Full piece: ecfr.eu/article/from...
👉 Full piece: ecfr.eu/article/from...
From partners to rivals: What the Saudi-UAE rupture means for Europeans – European Council on Foreign Relations
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and p
ecfr.eu
January 13, 2026 at 4:52 PM
1/ Read my @ecfrmena.bsky.social analysis of the big Saudi-UAE rupture. Yemen was the spark, as Riyadh really felt the Emiratis were taking them for a ride. But this is much bigger than Yemen. Even bigger than the Red Sea. It is about Israel.
👉 Full piece: ecfr.eu/article/from...
👉 Full piece: ecfr.eu/article/from...
📑 NEW @ecfr.eu commentary by @cinziabianco.bsky.social: Saudi Arabia & UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic & political interests. Read the piece here 👇 ecfr.eu/article/from...
From partners to rivals: What the Saudi-UAE rupture means for Europeans – European Council on Foreign Relations
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and p
ecfr.eu
January 13, 2026 at 2:21 PM
📑 NEW @ecfr.eu commentary by @cinziabianco.bsky.social: Saudi Arabia & UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic & political interests. Read the piece here 👇 ecfr.eu/article/from...
Faced with large protests, seismic internal problems, and threat of renewed war, Iran needs systematic domestic change through a new social contract & a grand bargain with Washington. Read @ecfr.eu's Ellie Geranmayeh @financialtimes.com Op-ed 🧵👇
January 12, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Faced with large protests, seismic internal problems, and threat of renewed war, Iran needs systematic domestic change through a new social contract & a grand bargain with Washington. Read @ecfr.eu's Ellie Geranmayeh @financialtimes.com Op-ed 🧵👇
✍️ Rather than falling into passivity, Europeans must seize the initiative by working with Arab partners to shape US Gaza plans to ensure Palestinian ownership and a political track towards a two-state solution, writes @boppenheim.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu buff.ly/5LrYJ1R
Taming Trump’s Gaza plan: A European-Arab initiative for lasting peace – European Council on Foreign Relations
The UN Security Council has passed a resolution to enact Trump’s Gaza plan. To sustain the fragile ceasefire, Europeans need to work with Arab partners to imple
buff.ly
January 12, 2026 at 11:22 AM
✍️ Rather than falling into passivity, Europeans must seize the initiative by working with Arab partners to shape US Gaza plans to ensure Palestinian ownership and a political track towards a two-state solution, writes @boppenheim.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu buff.ly/5LrYJ1R
📰 "While Pahlavi has gained momentum, many civil society actors inside Iran continue to press for homegrown democratic change", says @ecfr.eu's Ellie Geranmayeh in @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/c930...
The exiled royal urging Iranians on to the streets
As protests against the Islamic regime intensify, the son of the overthrown Shah seeks to rally support from abroad
www.ft.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:25 AM
📰 "While Pahlavi has gained momentum, many civil society actors inside Iran continue to press for homegrown democratic change", says @ecfr.eu's Ellie Geranmayeh in @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/c930...
📰 “It’s a game in which Iran will not be a winner,” Ellie Geranmayeh says in @latimes.com. “But desperate situations force desperate choices, and all of them are high cost.” www.latimes.com/world-nation...
Facing unrest, Iran is on edge as Trump threatens Tehran on heels of Venezuela operation
Perhaps no nation is alarmed as Iran by the U.S. attack on Venezuela to capture as Nicolás Maduro. Its leaders are facing a fresh bout of anti-government demonstrations and threats from President Trum...
www.latimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:51 PM
📰 “It’s a game in which Iran will not be a winner,” Ellie Geranmayeh says in @latimes.com. “But desperate situations force desperate choices, and all of them are high cost.” www.latimes.com/world-nation...
📰"There are still off-ramps for reconciliation for the system to avert a full-on bloody revolution. We may start seeing indications and signs of that as the protests go into their third, fourth weeks. But we’re not there yet.” Ellie Geranmayeh in @nbcnews.com
Iran shuts down internet as regime struggles to contain escalating unrest
A violent crackdown by security forces has left dozens dead as authorities try to stifle the protests sweeping the Islamic Republic.
buff.ly
January 9, 2026 at 1:49 PM
📰"There are still off-ramps for reconciliation for the system to avert a full-on bloody revolution. We may start seeing indications and signs of that as the protests go into their third, fourth weeks. But we’re not there yet.” Ellie Geranmayeh in @nbcnews.com
🎙️ NEW @ecfr.eu podcast with @markhleonard.bsky.social: @jbdacey.bsky.social discusses three big trends for 2026 to keep an eye on in the Middle East & North Africa ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...
Europe’s challenges in 2026 – European Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, Jana Kobzová, Andrew Small and Alex Vines to discuss upcoming political changes in 2026
ecfr.eu
January 9, 2026 at 10:16 AM
🎙️ NEW @ecfr.eu podcast with @markhleonard.bsky.social: @jbdacey.bsky.social discusses three big trends for 2026 to keep an eye on in the Middle East & North Africa ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...
📰 "There is continued discord between the government vision for central control over the country and the SDF push for a federalized model that gives them a strong degree of continued regional autonomy", says @jbdacey.bsky.social in @deutschewelle.dw.com www.dw.com/en/syria-fig...
Syria: Deadly Aleppo clashes raise fears of wider war – DW – 01/09/2026
Deadly fighting between Kurdish forces and Syria's national army in Aleppo has led to new widespread displacement. As thousands flee amid shelling, can international mediators stop a full-scale war?
www.dw.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:19 AM
📰 "There is continued discord between the government vision for central control over the country and the SDF push for a federalized model that gives them a strong degree of continued regional autonomy", says @jbdacey.bsky.social in @deutschewelle.dw.com www.dw.com/en/syria-fig...