No Olympic truce in the Middle East
After Fouad Cheker, head of Hezbollah's armed operations, killed on July 30, 2024, it is now Ismaël Hanyeh, the leader of Hamas abroad, who was eliminated today, July 31, 2024, by Israel. The first was [...]
Heatwave and Migration in Iraq
Drawing on his field-research and experience following the recent international symposium in Erbil: ‘Drought, and the Impact of Climate Change on the Political, Economic, and Demographic Situations of Iraq’, Fabrice Balanche presents his analysis of [...]
Deciphering of the political and security perspectives in Iraq
The specialist in Iraq and Syria, Fabrice Balanche, author of “The lessons from the Syrian crisis” (2024), examines the political and security news in Iraq in view of recent events in an interview for the [...]
The destruction of Israel is Iran’s ultimate goal
After the destruction of its consulate in Damascus, on April 1, Iran will retaliate against Israel. What will be the nature of Iranian retaliation? Iran does not want a direct confrontation against the Hebrew state [...]
How the West began losing the Mideast to Iran, Russia & China since start of Syria conflict, French academic Fabrice Balanche explains
This month marks the 13th anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict. French academic Fabrice Balanche says that across the Middle East the West is steadily losing ground to Russia, China and Iran as [...]
“Iran perfectly uses Shiite difficulties and local conflicts to create militias in the Middle East.” Interview with Fabrice Balanche
Iran is increasingly extending its influence across the Middle East and beyond, particularly through militias its control in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Fabrice Balanche is a assistant Profesor at the University of Lyon 2, [...]
From Kirkuk to Deir ez-Zor: Threatened Kurdish Autonomies
Can the riots in Kirkuk be compared to the insurrection in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, where Arab tribes from the Euphrates Valley took up arms to oust the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces? An analysis by Fabrice [...]
From Kirkuk to Deir ez-Zor: Threatened Kurdish Autonomies
Can the riots in Kirkuk be compared to the insurrection in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, where Arab tribes from the Euphrates Valley took up arms to oust the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces? An analysis by Fabrice [...]
Syria Is Back to the Arab League
The Arab League has returned to Syria after 11 years of suspension. It is a victory for Syria but also for Saudi Arabia, which is asserting itself as the master of clocks on the Arab [...]
The Iraqi economic situation-interview with Fabrice Balanche
In an exclusive interview for the CFRI, Fabrice Balanche discusses the current state of the Iraqi economic, heavily dependent on its oil exports. He explains why he thinks western companies could potentially do business with [...]