ARTICLES

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is a unique public platform created for those interested in the political, socio-economic, historical, cultural, and humanitarian processes in the countries of the Greater Middle East.

10 April 2025

The New World Order and Iran's Foreign Policy

Middle East - Europe

For decades, the world was dominated by US power, wealth, institutions, ideas, alliances and even partnerships. Although in the last two decades, many strategists and theorists have talked about the end of American hegemony, but in the past years, especially after the Corona epidemic crisis, the talks focused on the irreversibility of the decline of American hegemony. Since then, the rate of decline of American hegemony has accelerated. Its most obvious characteristic was the capture of Kabul by the Taliban and the quick and chaotic withdrawal of American forces from it. The withdrawal from Afghanistan was a demonstration of the humiliating failure of the West after 20 years of intervention in Afghanistan and West Asia.

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28 January 2025

The Kurdish Question in Syria

Articles

Ilya Vedeneev, Expert at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The Kurdish question remains, alongside the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the unresolved issues of the Middle East. The Kurds are the largest stateless ethnic group in the region. The territory of the ethnogeographic area of Kurdistan is divided by the national borders of four modern states: Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Each of these states has a distinct historical trajectory, political culture, and traditions. Consequently, Kurdish nationalism manifests uniquely in each of them.

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25 January 2025

The Republic of Korea Between the US and Iran: Balancing Interests Amid Sanctions

Articles

Michelle Bychkova, Expert at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. South Korea, one of the world's largest economies and the fourth-largest in Asia, has found itself in a complex position for several decades, striving to balance its economic interests with geopolitical commitments. On the one hand, the nation seeks to secure stable energy supplies and expand markets for its advanced technological products. On the other, Seoul’s close military-political alliance with the United States imposes certain constraints on its foreign policy. This dilemma is particularly pronounced in the country’s relations with Iran and the United States—two nations locked in a state of acute confrontation.

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23 January 2025

Strategic Prospects of Trump's Policy in the Middle East: Alliances, Challenges, and Risks of Global Destabilization

Articles

Arina Lugovskaya, Expert at CMES. Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and one of the first leaders to congratulate him on this victory was Israel’s representatives. This event is significant as it symbolizes the continuation and deepening of the close strategic ties between the U.S. and Israel, which were established during his previous term. Despite the eccentricity of his rhetoric and unexpected moves in international politics, Trump has proven himself to be a reliable ally of Israel. In the context of global political changes and instability in the Middle East, U.S. support, especially in the form of Trump, has become an important factor ensuring stability and security for Israel.

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16 December 2024

Călin Georgescu and the Presidential Elections in Romania: A Historical Turning Point

Middle East - Europe

Elena Marginianu, expert at CMES. The 2024 presidential elections in Romania proved to be a true test for the country's political system and a signal to global players of potential changes. Independent candidate Călin Georgescu, unexpectedly securing first place in the first round, challenged traditional views on political competition. His rival, Elena Lascu, represents the party system, which, despite being recently in the minority, managed to mobilize its resources to reach the second round. This confrontation became a symbol of the deep polarization within Romanian society.

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16 December 2024

Overview of Iran-Germany Relations: Reasons for Recent Tensions

Middle East - Europe

Seyedi Asl Seyedmohammad, Expert at CMES. Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, relations between Iran and Germany have largely developed in a stable and favorable atmosphere, particularly in areas such as economics, culture, and scientific exchange, while political interaction remained less significant. Despite periodic ups and downs, Iran's special role in Germany's Middle Eastern policy has always been explained by three key factors: economic interests, geopolitical positioning, and cultural interaction.

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18 November 2024

Destructive US hegemony in the Middle East is the reason for the insolubility of the Middle East conflict

Articles

Irina Desyatnikova, Expert at CMES. The United States has repeatedly demonstrated that its ambitions go far beyond carefully calculating the consequences of its actions. In the early 21st century, tragic events such as the invasion of Afghanistan and the military intervention in Iraq occurred. Many scholars have analyzed the consequences of these decisions, but the most prominent among them is John Joseph Mearsheimer, an outstanding American scholar in the field of international relations, best known for his offensive realism approach in international relations theory. Mearsheimer has repeatedly criticized the ill-considered foreign policy steps taken by the United States. On November 4, 2024, the scholar gave an interview to Al-Jazeera, addressing pressing global political issues such as the war in Gaza, Ukraine, and Lebanon, and how world and regional powers support and arm the warring sides.

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