The Mezze Table Newsletter
The Mezze Table | April 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Mezze Table, Ananta’s insights on West Asia and the Gulf. From diplomatic strategies to business breakthroughs, this bulletin captures the trends, insights, and stories shaping this vibrant region. US Tariffs Test West Asian Economies The US’s new tariffs announced in April hit several nations in West […]
The Mezze Table Newsletter
The Mezze Table | February 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Mezze Table, Ananta’s insights on West Asia and the Gulf. From geopolitics and strategy to business and culture, this bulletin captures the trends, insights, and shifting sands of diplomacy that are shaping the region. Beyond Oil & Olives: […]
The Mezze Table Newsletter
Ananta Insights The Mezze Table | January 2025 Welcome to the first edition of The Mezze Table, Ananta’s insights on West Asia and the Gulf. From diplomatic strategies to business breakthroughs, this bulletin captures the trends, insights, and stories shaping this vibrant region. The Day After Hostage Exchange and Ceasefire Developments On January 19, 2025, […]
Hamas et al
A year ago, I wrote about Operation Breaking Dawn and noted that the absence of Hamas on the battle ground was a realpolitik move. Watching from the sidelines, Hamas gave the impression that Israeli appeasement policy was working when in fact it was a perfect ruse to eliminate any threat or challenge to their leadership […]
“Such things have always happened. It’s part of destiny’s plan.” – Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Following the disastrous earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on 6 and 7 February 2023, the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scrambled to save face as slow relief efforts and reports and videos on construction scams fuelled public outrage. With elections for the presidency and parliament just months away, the emergency powers invoked by […]
The Arab Spring and Extremism among Sunni Minorities in Iran
ABSTRACT Scholarly works underline that sections of the Sunni minorities, mainly the urban middle class and the educated elites supported the creation of the Islamic Republic. Despite the Sunni ulema publicly censuring Sunni extremist groups and developing a new ‘Islamic Diplomacy’, the state’s insecurity and paranoia towards its Sunni Muslim minority increased. The state suppressed […]
The Israel-Lebanon Maritime Agreement: A strategic conflict-solving model in the region
The rare diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and Lebanon on the Maritime Border Agreement is a strategic and economic bargain between the two countries. Mediated by the United States of America at a UN base near the border, the agreement does not signal a move to normalize relations. It will, however, significantly reduce short term conflicts […]
Operation Breaking Dawn’ portends new trends in the Middle East
The truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad holds firm after tensions flared in Gaza on August 7. And while the three-day conflict took place in a familiar setting, Hamas, the de facto leadership in Gaza since 2007, observed Israel’s advances from the sidelines. Publicly, Hamas expressed solidarity with the Islamic Jihad, but the decision to stay […]