As 2023 begins, flux and instability remain the only constants in the Middle East. The Arab world today is filled with broken and partially collapsed polities. Yemen, Libya and Syria are subject to de facto division, and occupation by foreign forces. Lebanon and Iraq are under de facto control by Iran in key areas. The bright hopes momentarily raised a decade ago by popular mobilization seem very distant now. Is change, for better or for worse, likely in the year ahead?
Prediction may seem like a fool’s errand in a region where unexpected and dramatic events are the norm. But a glance at the regional map reveals processes already underway from which some inferences may cautiously be drawn.
Here are three Middle East arenas to watch carefully in the months ahead: READ MORE
