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Trump’s Strategic Reorientation and the Marginalization of the Middle East
28 Jan 2026
Trump’s Strategic Reorientation and the Marginalization of the Middle East
Professor Mohammed Ihsan
Donald Trump’s foreign policy outlook reflects a deliberate reorientation of American strategic priorities, one in which the Middle East no longer occupies the central position it once held in U.S. grand strategy. Across interviews, campaign speeches, and policy decisions, Trump has consistently articulated skepticism toward prolonged American engagement in the region. His repeated criticism of the 2003 invasion of Iraq serves as both a political and strategic reference point. Trump frames the war as a catastrophic miscalculation that resulted in massive loss of life, enormous financial costs, and long-term regional instability without delivering proportional benefits to the United States.
This critique is not merely retrospective. It functions as a foundational argument within Trump’s broader “America First” framework, which emphasizes strategic restraint, cost-benefit calculations, and the rejection of ideological interventionism. In this view, U.S. foreign policy should prioritize tangible national interests rather than abstract commitments to regional stability or democratic transformation. The Middle East, marked by entrenched conflicts and complex sectarian dynamics, is thus portrayed as a region where American involvement yields diminishing returns.
Urgent Appeal for the Protection of the Kurdish People in Syria
Dr. Mohamed Ihsan
Saturday 17 Jan 2026
Open Letter to President Trump
Subject: Urgent Appeal for the Protection of the Kurdish People in Syria
Dear President Trump,
My name is Professor Mohammed Ihsan, and I serve as Secretary General of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization (AAPSO), an institution founded in 1958 in the aftermath of the Bandung Conference and grounded in the principles of non‑alignment, self‑determination, and social justice. I write to you in this capacity, informed by both the institutional responsibility I carry and my professional experience in law, human rights, and post‑conflict governance.
For more than six decades, AAPSO has provided a moral and political platform for the peoples of Africa and Asia in their shared struggle against colonialism, external domination, and injustice. Today, amid renewed global inequality and protracted conflicts, the organization continues to advocate for a just, democratic, and multipolar global order aligned with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the aspirations of the Global South.
My professional life has focused on the defense of human dignity in contexts of conflict and transition. I am a scholar of international law and political science, a genocide expert, and have served in several ministerial roles within the Kurdistan Regional Government, including as Minister of Human Rights, where I led efforts to document mass atrocities and recover victims of the Anfal campaign. I currently serve as Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London, Senior Visiting Professor at Yale University, and Honorary Senior Professor at the University of Exeter. Across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, my work has focused on post‑conflict reconstruction, reconciliation, governance reform, and the protection of vulnerable communities.
Syria's transitional authority missteps on Kurdish issue
ahramonline
Syria's transitional authority missteps on Kurdish issue
Dr. Mohamed Ihsan
Monday 12 Jan 2026
Syria’s transitional authority has made a series of serious political and moral mistakes in its handling of the country’s diverse communities.
These mistakes have not been limited to the Kurdish population, but have affected nearly all components of Syrian society.
At the core of the problem lies a dangerous misconception: treating the post-Assad moment as a victory over the Syrian people, rather than a victory over the Assad regime itself.
For more than five decades, Syria was ruled by the Assad family and a narrow security and economic elite that included individuals from multiple sects. Entire communities did not govern the country, nor can they be held collectively responsible for the crimes of that system.
U.S. National Security Strategy Toward the Middle East: A Broader Strategic Imperative
By Professor Mohammed Ihsan
U.S. National Security Strategy Toward the Middle East: A Broader Strategic Imperative
For decades, the United States has largely interpreted the Middle East through a threat-centric lens, emphasizing terrorism, regional instability, nuclear proliferation, and the protection of Israel. While these concerns are undeniably real, this narrow framing often obscures the region’s broader geopolitical and economic significance. The Middle East is frequently portrayed as a problematic or unstable zone, yet it plays an essential role in global energy security, global trade, and great-power competition. Overlooking these dimensions creates a strategic imbalance that limits America’s ability to shape long-term outcomes in the region.
The Middle East remains a core pillar of the global energy system. Although the world is gradually transitioning toward renewable energy sources, fossil fuels continue to power much of the global economy, and the region still contains roughly a quarter of the world’s energy resources. The stability of Middle Eastern energy production is closely linked to global economic health. When the region experiences conflict or supply disruptions, energy prices surge, supply chains buckle, and economic ripple effects are felt worldwide. This reality makes the Middle East not merely a security challenge but an indispensable energy anchor for the international system.
Rewriting the architecture of mediation
Al-Ahram Weekly
4-10 Decmber 2025
Rewriting the architecture of mediation
Dr. Mohamed Ihsan
Thursday 4 Dec 2025
Mediation in the international system is now more distributed, more competitive, and more dependent on regional legitimacy than ever before, with important implications for global diplomacy, writes Mohamed Ihsan
For much of the post-Cold War period, the United States, Europe, and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations defined the boundaries of diplomatic intervention. They set the terms, organised the negotiating tables, and shaped the compromises.
Today, the centre of gravity is shifting. Mediation is increasingly being driven by regional actors, middle powers, and strategically ambitious states, above all Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, whose proximity, access, and credibility in local arenas give them a kind of influence that distant superpowers, can no longer easily wield.
Nowhere is this more visible than in the Gaza conflict, where the emerging diplomatic landscape reflects not an improvised response to crisis but a deeper structural reordering of global politics.
The 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
12 May 2025
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲.
As part of the activities of the 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞, participants paid a significant visit to the 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 — a historic site that once housed the late president and now stands as a living archive of his life, leadership, and lasting global influence.
During the visit, delegates toured key rooms that shaped pivotal decisions in Egypt’s modern history:
• The presidential salon and meeting room
• His private office, bedroom, and reception area
• The Monshiet El-Bakry corner, symbolic of his public connection
• Personal items including handwritten speeches, diplomatic gifts, military decorations, and family photos
Beyond the physical space, the experience served as a bridge to the past, helping young leaders better understand the roots of 𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, & 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡.
The visit concluded with a seminar titled "𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞", featuring remarks from prominent national figures including:
• 𝐇.𝐄. 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐤 – Former Minister of African Affairs
• 𝐇.𝐄. 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐥 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐲 – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 𝐀𝐦𝐛. 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐠𝐲 – Deputy Assistant Minister for International Security Affairs
• 𝐄𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐦 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫 – Son of the late president
Speakers reflected on Nasser’s enduring role not only as a national leader, but as a symbol for Afro-Asian liberation, international dignity, and people-centered leadership. His vision lives on — in institutions, in alliances, and in the minds of young leaders determined to carry the torch.
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