Amer Al-Sabaileh

The writer is a Jordanian university professor and a geopolitical expert. He is a leading columnist in national, regional, and international media, offers consultancies to think tanks and speaks at international conferences on Middle East politics and developments.

Abraham Accords, religious diplomacy and Netanyahu’s exit strategy

Many observers believe that the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right Cabinet will provoke waves of escalation in the West Bank, and the make up of this government leaves indeed very little opportunity to argue against this.

Washington needs to engage with key regional and international political actors

After Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, become prime minister, the Biden administration granted him immunity in relation to Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, a move that did not come as a surprise. The path of US-Saudi Arabia negotiations in preparation for today’s rapprochement started more than a year ago. A change in the position of the Biden administration was anticipated after US President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia and his meeting with its most influential public figure, who had been explicitly accused of being directly involved in Khashoggi’s murder.

A new turn in the Turkish presidential elections

After years without a terrorist attack, Turkey witnessed one last week, targeting a civilian area in a shopping street in Taksim Square, which left six dead and more than 80 people injured.

The risk of growing escalation in the south of Syria

The risk of chaos in southern Syria represents a major security challenge for Jordan. The problems have multiplied; they are no longer limited to the presence of pro-Iran militias and of drug trafficking groups, but now see the presence of terrorist groups in the area.

Critical challenges for Italy’s first woman premier

There has been much analysis of the outcome of the recent elections in Italy, which brought to power the first extreme right political party since World War II and the first woman prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. This may have happened at a time when the world is facing a critical escalation, between Russia, and the US, EU and NATO, but there has been a growing tendency, in Italy, toward right-wing politics in recent times. However, Fratelli d’Italia is hardly on the extreme right when it comes to NATO and EU; Meloni was careful to highlight her alignment with NATO and harmony with the US policy in the region.

Iranian drones put Tehran in direct confrontation with the West

Recently, the media have reported that Russia is using Iranian drones in Ukraine; two months ago, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iran, he sealed the deal to purchase them.

Jordanian concerns over outcome of forthcoming Israeli election

Many are pondering whether the outcome of the forthcoming Israeli election will have a negative impact on the Jordanian-Israeli relations.

What change is really needed in Jordan

There is no doubt that there is growing discontent in Jordan, a sentiment that, combined with high levels of economic hardship, creates social and political frustration that could become a trigger for protests.

Regional cooperation critical to addressing threats

Growing instances of drug trafficking make this one of the most critical issues for countries in the region. While it is not a new phenomenon, the recent intensification starts to pose a threat to the national security of many countries.

A regional solution to developing threats

Recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan open the door for new competition amongst terrorist groups to appear once again on the global scene. One of the strategic objectives of these groups is to diminish the authority of the Taliban, whose current recognition and authority they covet.