Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Timothy Hopper
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The Normandy logic behind Trump’s escalation against Iran
The latest U.S. operations against Iran’s coastal regions, now extending through eight consecutive nights of strikes, follow a nearly forty-day conflict earlier this year and the collapse of a fragile diplomatic framework. The Trump administration initially presented that war as a swift and decisive success. Yet Washington did not convert…
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The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader: America’s strategic miscalculation under the shadow of Israeli narratives
As Iran prepares for the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, the scale of anticipated public participation indicates that they are set to become one of the most significant mass gatherings in contemporary Iranian history. Reports indicate that vast crowds are…
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Project Freedom and the end of the Arabs’ automatic “yes” to Washington
When Donald Trump spoke of “Project Freedom” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the plan was supposed to be a display of restored American deterrence: an operation meant to prove that Washington could still open the world’s energy artery with its military fleet and its network of regional bases. Yet…
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Why the Iran conflict demands a fresh strategy in the Arab world
The latest clashes involving the US, Israel, and Iran go beyond just another round of Middle East fighting. They shine a harsh light on how shaky the region’s security setup really is — and force Arab leaders to question long-held beliefs they’ve leaned on for years. For a long time,…
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Manufacturing a substitute enemy: When Iran replaces Palestine in Arab media
Gulf media do not merely report on Iran; by constantly amplifying the Iranian threat, they shift the Arab gaze from the wound of Palestine to a new form of security anxiety. What is the main threat in the Middle East: the occupation of Palestine or Iran? The answer to this…
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How Trumpism reshaped the politics of protest
For a long time, scholars of social movements assumed that political coalitions form when different groups discover they have aligned interests. But in American history, those alignments have usually been short-lived and shaky at best. Labor unions, civil rights groups, immigration activists, and environmentalists have each followed their own logic,…
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The “Third Gulf War” and the collapse of the oil-for-security bargain
For more than forty years, the security setup in the Persian Gulf has basically rested on one straightforward bargain: the Arab oil-producing states keep the oil flowing steadily, and in exchange, the United States promises to protect them. This “oil for security” arrangement didn’t just shape America’s ties with its…
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The full seizure of Gaza: A path toward isolation and collapse
As tensions rise in the Middle East, Benjamin Netanyahu, with his security cabinet’s backing, has chosen to seize full control of the Gaza Strip; a move that’s as audacious as it is perilous, threatening Israel’s security, economy, and global reputation. Framed as a strike against Hamas, this plan has been…
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Iran’s nuclear development and the limits of coercive strategy
Both Donald Trump and Israeli leaders fundamentally misjudged the nature of Iran’s nuclear file. The “maximum pressure” campaign, culminating in a joint 12-day military assault by the US and Israel, ultimately had no tangible effect on dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. Between 2005 and 2014, Iran succeeded in creating an irreversible…
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In the name of peace, in the service of war: Iran and America’s endless militarism
The recent US airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities has reignited global attention on American foreign policy. Though framed as a necessary step to stop a looming nuclear threat and stabilize the region, the reality points to something far deeper: a calculated move within a longstanding strategy that sells war as…
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How Washington serves Tel Aviv: A reassessment of a risky intervention
Since June 2025, the Middle East has appeared more unstable than ever: Israel’s 12-day offensive on Iran, marked by relentless bombing of military and nuclear facilities, has brought the region to the brink of an unprecedented catastrophe. The operation—supported by US intelligence and logistics and involving direct American participation through…
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Why the West’s project to overthrow Iran’s government is doomed to fail
In the closing months of 2025, the political landscape of the Middle East once again saw the revival of a decades-old idea that, despite repeated failures, remains alive in Western power circles: regime change in Iran through external pressure, particularly military intervention. Following direct clashes between Iran on one side…