How the Iran War is Spreading

All eyes are on Iran. The United States and Israel launched a massive attack on Iran on 28 February, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Subsequently, the war has reached unprecedented proportions. Iran has not only taken revenge on Israel – which has launched an invasion of Lebanon to uproot Hezbollah – but also on the Gulf Arab states, where cities like Dubai and Doha have since sustained missile and drone fire. For the first time since the Second World War, nodes of the global economy are under prolonged attack. Energy prices have soared, and a global recession may be on the horizon. In the midst of all this: who wants what in this war, and where are the Middle East and the world heading?

In this edition of Let’s Ask, International Relations scholar Karim El Taki shares his insights on the conflict, unpacking the interests of the key players and what this escalation could mean for the future of the region and the world.

Karim El Taki is an Assistant Professor of Politics in the Middle East at the University of Groningen. His research focuses on international ordering and Middle Eastern politics, with a particular interest in how regional and global orders are made and contested. He is the author of a forthcoming book, entitled Arms, News, and Lobbying: The Remaking of the Middle East Regional (Dis)Order (Edinburgh University Press). Karim was previously a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute and has held research positions at Georgetown University Qatar, the George Washington University, and the Orient-Institut Beirut. He completed his PhD in Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge.

In Let's Ask, researchers share their knowledge to provide context to topical issues and will answer your questions.