Simon Mabon
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Articles by Simon Mabon
How the War With Iran Is Fueling a New Wave of Sectarian Repression in the Gulf
Since the outset of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran and going back to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, long-standing tensions surrounding sectarian identity have intensified across the Gulf.
Houthi offensive in Yemen adds to fear that Iran war could escalate into a wider global conflict
Yemen’s Houthis have launched a major offensive in recent days. They’ve rapidly swept down the Red Sea coast, seizing strategically important positions and giving the Iran-backed rebel group the potential to control traffic through this vital waterway. This could cut off Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil – which was already seriously hampered by Iran’s attempts to control the Strait… Read complete article © The Conversation -
Houthi offensive in Yemen adds to fear that Iran war could escalate into a wider global conflict
Yemen’s Houthis have launched a major offensive in recent days. They’ve rapidly swept down the Red Sea coast, seizing strategically important positions and giving the Iran-backed rebel group the potential to control traffic through this vital waterway. This could cut off Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil – which was already seriously hampered by Iran’s attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the country.
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu Have Different War Aims – Can the Iran Peace Deal Survive?
The clock is ticking on the Iran peace deal. A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US is due to be signed in Geneva on June 19, allowing for a 60-day ceasefire extension and the opening of the strategically vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. But key questions remain unresolved that could yet scupper the agreement. For Washington and Tehran, the memorandum also includes Lebanon.
Trump-Netanyahu war aims clash – can Iran peace deal survive?
The clock is ticking on the Iran peace deal. A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US is due to be signed in Geneva on June 19, allowing for a 60-day ceasefire extension and the opening of the strategically vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. But key questions remain unresolved that could yet scupper the agreement. For Washington and Tehran, the memorandum also includes Lebanon.
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have different war aims – can the Iran peace deal survive?
The clock is ticking on the Iran peace deal. A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US is due to be signed in Geneva on June 19, allowing for a 60-day ceasefire extension and the opening of the strategically vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. But key questions remain unresolved that could yet scupper the agreement. For Washington and Tehran, the memorandum also includes Lebanon. Iran has made the signing of the deal contingent on an Israeli… Read complete article © The Conversation -
COMMENT: Iran and the GCC, the memory remains
When Iranian rockets and drones hit the US 5th Fleet in Manama, videos posted on social media showed some Bahrainis celebrating the strikes. The videos revealed the deep-seated anger felt by many at the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, and a spiritual figure for Shia Muslims around the world.
COMMENT: Iran and the GCC, the memory remains
When Iranian rockets and drones hit the US 5th Fleet in Manama, videos posted on social media showed some Bahrainis celebrating the strikes. The videos revealed the deep-seated anger felt by many at the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, and a spiritual figure for Shia Muslims around the world.
Britain’s “Sectarian Politics” Narrative Is a Dangerous Con
“Sectarianism” is a strange term to use when seeking to understand contemporary British politics. However, in recent months, the term has become ubiquitous. In February this year, the Green Party won a parliamentary by-election in Manchester’s Gorton and Denton constituency. Disgruntled members of Reform UK, whose candidate the Greens had bested, leveled allegations of “sectarianism” and “sectarian voting” at Muslim voters in the constituency.
Trump’s call to expand Abraham accords is destined to fail
As negotiations to end the Iran war continued on May 25, Donald Trump made a series of phone calls in which he pressed key leaders from the Middle East to join the Abraham accords. Announced in 2020, these accords established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states, beginning with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.
The War with Iran is opening old wounds
When news broke of US and Israeli strikes on Iran on the morning of 28th February, many feared the worst. The Middle East had long been beset by geopolitically charged sectarian differences which, when mapped onto a range of political and socio-economic issues, erupted in violence in Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain, Syria and Yemen. Civil wars in Lebanon and Iraq took place along broadly sectarian lines with deadly consequences.
Israel-Arab relations push could stall over Palestinian statehood
M ohammed bin Salman wants to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham accords, the network of agreements to normalize relations between Israel and other countries in the Middle East and, increasingly, beyond. United States President Donald Trump would have enjoyed hearing this when the Saudi crown prince visited the White House on Nov. 18. It was Trump’s first administration that brokered the initial agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in 2020.
Israel’s Latest Push To Improve Arab Relations Could Stall Over Palestinian Statehood
Mohammed bin Salman wants to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham accords, the network of agreements to normalise relations between Israel with other countries in the Middle East and, increasingly, beyond. Donald Trump would have enjoyed hearing this when the Saudi crown prince visited the White House on November 18. It was Trump’s first administration that brokered the initial agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in 2020.
Statehood issue again could block Israel, Arabs from making nice
Mohammed bin Salman wants to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham accords, the network of agreements to normalize Israel’s relations with other countries in the Middle East and, increasingly, beyond. Donald Trump would have enjoyed hearing this when the Saudi crown prince visited the White House on November 18. It was Trump’s first administration that brokered the initial agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in 2020.
Abraham accords: Israel’s latest push to improve Arab relations could stall over Palestinian statehood
By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University Mohammed bin Salman wants to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham accords, the network of agreements to normalise relations between Israel with other countries in the Middle East and, increasingly, beyond. Donald Trump would have enjoyed hearing this when the Saudi crown prince visited the White House on November 18.
Contesting Power-sharing: Contentious Politics in Divided Societies
Abstract This introduction outlines an agenda for research on protest and power-sharing. Power-sharing scholarship has ignored grassroots contentious politics, viewing protest as a threat to the top-down model of consociationalism. Protest is thus seen as a destabilizing force, narrowing the ground needed for power-sharing elites to engage in moderative behaviour required for peace.
The two years of fighting since Oct. 7 have transformed the Middle East
The morning of Oct. 7, 2023, set in process a series of events which have profoundly changed the Middle East. At the beginning of that month, the region looked very different to today. Saudi Arabia appeared ready to normalize with Israel, having recently set aside longstanding differences with Iran. With the normalization of relations between the region’s two preeminent military powers would come the possibility of curbing Iran’s influence. This, in turn, could bring peace to Yemen and Lebanon.
Middle East transformed in two years of war
The morning of October 7 2023 set in process a series of events which have profoundly changed the Middle East. At the beginning of that month, the region looked very different to today. Saudi Arabia appeared ready to normalise with Israel, having recently set aside longstanding differences with Iran. With the normalisation of relations between the region’s two preeminent military powers would come the possibility of curbing Iran’s influence. This, in turn, could bring peace to Yemen and Lebanon.
Nobel Prize for for immune system breakthroughs
A trio of scientists has won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their breakthrough work on understanding how our immune systems function. Their findings helped boost the hunt for new treatments for cancers and have been important for understanding autoimmune conditions. Tracy Hussell unpacks the discoveries of Shimon Sakaguchi, Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell.
The two years of fighting since October 7 have transformed the Middle East
By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University The morning of October 7 2023 set in process a series of events which have profoundly changed the Middle East. At the beginning of that month, the region looked very different to today. Saudi Arabia appeared ready to normalise with Israel, having recently set aside longstanding differences with Iran.
The two years of fighting since October 7 have transformed the Middle East
The morning of October 7 2023 set in process a series of events which have profoundly changed the Middle East. At the beginning of that month, the region looked very different to today. Saudi Arabia appeared ready to normalise with Israel, having recently set aside longstanding differences with Iran. With the normalisation of relations between the region’s two preeminent military powers would come the possibility of curbing Iran’s influence. This, in turn, could bring peace to Yemen and Lebanon.
Gaza Is Starving - How Israel’s Allies Can Go Beyond Words And Take Meaningful Action
In the past two months, more than 1,000 people seeking food have been killed, according to the UN Human Rights Office. While the figure has been disputed by Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which was set up to distribute aid, 28 nations this week condemned the “horrifying” killing of Gazans trying to get food.
Gaza Is Starving and Israel's Allies Can do More Than Just Watch
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Gaza is starving – how Israel’s allies can go beyond words and take meaningful action
In the past two months, more than 1,000 people seeking food have been killed, according to the UN Human Rights Office. While the figure has been disputed by Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which was set up to distribute aid, 28 nations this week condemned the “horrifying” killing of Gazans trying to get food. For all the talk of a ceasefire – one that is long overdue – there is little hope. Israeli military operations continue and Gazans must risk their lives in search of food and aid.
US joins Israel in attack on Iran and ushers in a new era of impunity
US joins Israel in attack on Iran and ushers in a new era of impunity When US B-2 bombers hit Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, Donald Trump declared the strikes a success and urged the Islamic Republic to make peace or face even more devastating strikes. The US president proclaimed the might of the US military, operating in full coordination with Israel, before taking to truth social.
US joins Israel in attack on Iran and ushers in a new era of impunity
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Key Role of Gulf States in India-Pakistan Mediation
An April 22 attack by militant gunmen that killed 26 tourists in the Indian-administered Kashmir region brought the South Asian region to the brink of a full scale war between two nuclear powers. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a Kashmiri rebel group, The Resistance Front, which is allegedly an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiaba, a United Nations-designated terrorist organization.
Space, Security and Sovereign Power: The Case of Bahrain
ABSTRACT Following the outbreak of protests across Bahrain in 2011, the ruling Al Khalifa family deployed a range of strategies to secure its survival. At the core of such strategies was the securitisation of protest and the construction of threats predicated on geopolitically charged sectarian affinity.
Signs not good for US-Iran nuke deal badly needed for stability
For the second week in a row, senior officials from the United States and Iran will get together to take part in talks about the Iranian nuclear programme. It’s the second round in the latest negotiations – the first having taken place in Oman on April 12. But recent statements from both the White House and senior Iranian officials, including a difference of opinion on where the talks should be held, suggest that rapid diplomatic successes may not be forthcoming.
What Trump’s plan to ‘take over’ Gaza means for Arab-Israeli ties
US President Donald Trump has made the extraordinary suggestion that the US should seize control of the Gaza Strip and permanently remove its Palestinian inhabitants. Speaking to the press at the White House alongside the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US would “own [Gaza] and be responsible”. When pushed on the practicalities of such a move, Trump replied that the US would “do what is necessary” and develop the land into the “riviera of the Middle East”.
What Trump’s proposal to ‘take over’ Gaza could mean for Arab-Israeli relations
By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University US president Donald Trump has made the extraordinary suggestion that the US should seize control of the Gaza Strip and permanently remove its Palestinian inhabitants. Speaking to the press at the White House alongside the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US would “own [Gaza] and be responsible”.
Saudi Arabia Could Broker A Peace Deal in the Middle East
Argument An expert's point of view on a current event. The Boulevard entertainment city in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 16, 2023. Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images Foreign & Public Diplomacy Iran Middle East and North Africa As the sun sets on Joe Biden’s presidency, the specter of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looms over the Middle East. With weeks to go until Inauguration Day, the situation across the Middle East is precarious.
Is political sectarianism fracturing America?
Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Gardens in New York City on Sunday, October 27 was called a "carnival of grievances, misogyny and racism" by the New York Times. The event, which came just over a week before the election, was a hostile and partisan affair.
Political sectarianism is fracturing America
By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Gardens in New York City on Sunday, October 27 was called a “carnival of grievances, misogyny and racism” by the New York Times. The event, which came just over a week before the election, was a hostile and partisan affair. Trump doubled down on his assertion that one of America’s gravest threats is from “the enemy within”.
What would war between Israel and Hezbollah mean for the Middle East? Expert Q&A
By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University The Israeli military is reported to have signed off on a major offensive against Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militia, prompting fears that the situation could spiral into a full-blown war. The two sides have been exchanging fire since the conflict in Gaza began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. But in recent weeks this has escalated considerably.
What would war between Israel and Hezbollah mean for the Middle East? Expert Q&A
What would war between Israel and Hezbollah mean for the Middle East? Expert Q&A The Israeli military is reported to have signed off on a major offensive against Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militia, prompting fears that the situation could spiral into a full-blown war. The two sides have been exchanging fire since the conflict in Gaza began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. But in recent weeks this has escalated considerably.
Norway, Ireland, Spain recognise Palestinian statehood: what this means for Middle East peace - expert Q&A
© 2024 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
Norway, Ireland, Spain recognise Palestinian statehood: what this means for Middle East peace - expert Q&A
Norway, Ireland and Spain have all announced plans to recognise the state of Palestine on May 28. The move has drawn harsh criticism from Israel, which has withdrawn its ambassadors from the three countries.
'Pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu is rising as Gaza families face a living hell'
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Jordan has long been a beacon of stability in the Middle East – but that looks to be changing - EconoTimes
Sat in the Wadi Araba in the baking midday sun, senior Jordanian officials and their Israeli counterparts signed a historic peace agreement in 1994 that ended decades of conflict between the two states. Witnessed by the then US president, Bill Clinton, it was just the second peace agreement that Israel had signed with an Arab state, coming over a decade after it made peace with Egypt.
Jordan has long been a beacon of stability in the Middle East - but that looks to be changing
By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University Sat in the Wadi Araba in the baking midday sun, senior Jordanian officials and their Israeli counterparts signed a historic peace agreement in 1994 that ended decades of conflict between the two states. Witnessed by the then US president, Bill Clinton, it was just the second peace agreement that Israel had signed with an Arab state, coming over a decade after it made peace… Read complete article © The Conversation -
'Netanyahu's fixation with Iran is incredibly strange
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Microsoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Iran is not the regional puppetmaster many think and risks losing control if the current crisis escalates
Despite the recent admission by the US president, Joe Biden, that the joint US-UK campaign of airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen was not working, the two allies conducted their eighth round of bombardment against Houthi positions on January 22. A spokesman for the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, told journalists that the military action was accompanied by diplomacy aimed at “putting diplomatic pressure on Iran to cease their support of Houthi activity”.
The Israel-Gaza conflict could reshape the Middle East
The horror and confusion of events in Israel and Gaza leaves us with so many questions, many of which are very hard to answer. But amid the daily barrage of news reports, often unverified, we’re here to bring you calm analysis and deep understanding from leading experts in the region and its complex politics and history. I’ve been talking to Simon Mabon, professor of international relations at Lancaster University, about how the unravelling conflict could affect the wider Middle East region.
Israel-Gaza conflict: how could it change the Middle East's political landscape? Expert Q&A
© 2023 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
Israel-Gaza conflict: how could it change the Middle East's political landscape? Expert Q&A
The surprise attack by Hamas launched on Israel on October 7 has already led to thousands of deaths in both Israel and Gaza, and sparked concerns that the conflict could escalate across the Middle East. An expert in the politics and relations of this region, Simon Mabon, explains how all the key players are likely to view this dramatic escalation in violence.
Irán: repercusiones regionales de la crisis
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Saudi Arabia and Iran: The Politics of Détente
Senior diplomats from Saudi Arabia and Iran are meeting in Beijing tomorrow to discuss the next steps in restoring diplomatic relations following the Chinese-brokered agreement last month. The move to restore ties comes seven years after Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran after its embassy in Tehran was stormed in response to Rihyad’s execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
Saudi-Iran deal won't bring peace to the Middle East but will enhance China's role as power broker
By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University After more than four decades as seemingly implacable enemies on either side of a deep political-religious divide in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen embassies. The deal, which was signed in Beijing, comes seven years after diplomatic relations were severed in the aftermath of the execution in Saudi Arabia of Shia cleric Nimr… Read complete article
Saudi-Iran deal won't bring peace to the Middle East but will enhance China's role as power broker Original
After more than four decades as seemingly implacable enemies on either side of a deep political-religious divide in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen embassies. The deal, which was signed in Beijing, comes seven years after diplomatic relations were severed in the aftermath of the execution in Saudi Arabia of Shia cleric Nimr Al Nimr and has been heralded as a “game-changing moment” for the Middle East.
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