The Audience War: US Rhetoric and the Iranian Nuclear Programme
Obama's declaratory policy on Iran involves a fine balancing act that is designed for multiple audiences: a recalcitrant Iranian regime, a domestic population about to go to the polls, and a jittery...
View ArticleAre We Able to Deter Iran?
In pursuing a nuclear weapons capability, Iran is acting rationally and in accordance with its past actions and strategic interests. Nevertheless, this does not mean at a nuclear-armed, or...
View ArticleHow Israelis Differ on Dealing with Iran
With prospects of igniting a regional war, some leading lights in the Israeli security establishment suggest a more careful approach. Yet, Israel perceives Iran as a rational actor that is likely to...
View ArticleWhat Would an Air Attack on Iran Look Like?
A ground invasion is impossible. But Israel lacks the long-range assets unilaterally to neutralise a dispersed Iranian nuclear capability, whereas a large US co-ordinated air campaign against Iranian...
View Article'Chanel No. 5 or Stinking Perfume to do the Job': The Debate over Israeli...
An exploration of the process of military rethinking which derived from the new strategic realities that emerged after the Six Day War in 1967
View ArticleWhat is the zone of immunity? Iran, Israel and the IAEA's new report
The IAEA's latest report shows that Iran has greatly upgraded its uranium enrichment capacity. Some argue that Iran is poised to enter a "zone of immunity". But what does this mean, and is it a useful...
View ArticleIsrael and the Arab Uprisings: A Provisional Analysis
The Arab uprisings have affected Israel's security environment, but rather than merely presenting challenges, they may also provide opportunities for the future
View ArticleUS Power: Both Candidates Will be Constrained by the Same Strategic Choices
Retrenchment will be the dominating theme for US foreign policy whoever wins the presidential elections on 6 November. The next president will face a protectionist Congress; a military undergoing huge...
View ArticleTahrir Squared: Egypt, Israel and Gaza
The regional strategic context stands in contrast to 2008-2009. The government in Cairo is now much more sensitive to popular sentiment, which has been enflamed by the violence. Egypts reaction to the...
View ArticleIsrael's Strategic Gamble in Gaza
The engagement with Hamas and the subsequent escalation of force after Hamass response represents a strategic gamble by the Netanyahu government. While on the tactical level the operation has...
View ArticleOperation Pillar of Defence: Israels Strategic Objectives
The ongoing Operation Pillar of Defence is the latest manifestation of Israeli efforts to disarm Hamas of its supply of long range missiles and to demonstrate to Hamas leadership the strategic...
View ArticleA Tenuous Ceasefire in Gaza
In the latest Gaza conflict, neither side has 'won'. The ceasefire as it stands does no more than restore a fraught status quo, one that will almost certainly crumble again in the absence of dramatic...
View ArticleBeyond the Iron Dome: Placing Missile Defence in its Regional Context
The latest crisis between Israel and Palestine highlighted the utility of the Israel Defence Forces Iron Dome system. It emphasises once again the importance of missile defence and has gained the...
View ArticleTurkey Defers to Egypt
Turkeys grander regional ambitions have been thwarted by its alienation of important regional players. Now a more inward looking Turkey has adopted a supporting role as Erdogan positions himself for a...
View ArticleThe Walls That Did Not Come Tumbling Down: Are the Early Neolithic Walls of...
Could the famous walls at Jericho actually be the first evidence of warfare?
View ArticleCreating Reverse Asymmetry: Israels Military Innovation
To maintain its strategic edge against an evolving threat, the Israel Defense Forces have developed capabilities-based defence concepts rooted in the principle of reverse asymmetry. (Free access)
View ArticleNetanyahu's Israel: Strategic Fatalism and Disaster
On the road to his inevitable re-election, Benjamin Netanyahu has pursued a policy that politically isolates Israel further and ends hopes for a two-state solution. It will be the Israeli Prime...
View ArticleIsrael's Attack on Syria: Will it Lead to Escalation?
The Syrian regime has accused Israel of, as yet, unconfirmed attacks against Syrian military installations. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that such a move will trigger a retaliation or threaten a...
View ArticleEurope and the Middle East: The Potential in the Pipeline
European energy security remains a concern. Attention is turning back to the Middle East - and its unrest.
View ArticleIranian nuclear programme may 'inadvertently' trigger military action
Iran may inadvertently cross unclear US and Israeli 'red lines' with its nuclear programme and trigger military action, warns a new briefing paper by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
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