My latest piece for CNA entails: US foreign policy thus far has shown a substantial appetite for risk and, despite President Trump’s declaration of being war-averse, the ongoing strikes on the Houthis are all about (1) bringing Iran to the negotiation table; (2) blaming his predecessor Mr Biden. Iran has shuffled its feet uneasily —…

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I shared my thoughts with Ziwen Zhao’s piece at SCMP on nuclear talks and China-Iran relations. The context? Russia and China have both publicly expressed support for the lifting of sanctions on Iran, while Mr. Trump warned the Islamic Republic that they should come to the negotiation table. I would add a few more thinking…

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I offered my comments for Tom Hussain’s story on the US rejection of the pan-Arab plan for Gaza’s post-war recovery, as a counterproposal to Mr. Trump’s outrageous “Riviera” idea. The report, found here, features snippets of my full remarks. I would further add that: (1) The Arab plan for Gaza represents a projection of solidarity…

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Insights Paper 316 by Clemens Chay Executive Summary: GCC-Iran relations have followed a steady trend of détente for several years owing to economic motivations, the need for regional stability to pursue economic agendas and, for the Gulf Arabs, the perceived US unreliability in providing for regional security. Such pragmatism, however, has been tested by events…

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In this commentary co-authored with my colleague, Evangeline Cheng, we examine how Mr. Trump’s outlandish “Riviera” proposal plan has far-reaching implications for a raging Middle East and the world, both internally and externally. For Egypt and Jordan in particular, the issue is existential. Read the full commentary here.

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Grant Rumley, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, speaks with Clemens Chay, MEI Research Fellow, about the significance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan’s King Abdullah visiting Washington in the early weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency. Rumley highlights President Trump’s unconventional diplomatic style and his aim to foster peace…

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I spoke to Daniel Neep, Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, on the challenges for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. With regime change now placing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in charge, Neep outlines the domestic and foreign policy priorities of the new government led by de…

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I asked Mehran Kamrava, Professor of Government at Georgetown University-Qatar and Director of the Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, what he thought of the domestic climate in Iran more than six months into President Masoud Pezeshkian’s tenure. From the hijab bill to social freedoms, Kamrava underscores the challenges…

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I spoke to Nur Fathin Awalludin of local Malay media outlet, Berita Harian, on the signing of the Gaza ceasefire deal and its prospects. I singled out President Trump’s Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff, as a key personality who took the agreement past the finish line, without discrediting Biden officials for their cooperation and legwork.…

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Quoted in Ziwen Zhao’s piece for SCMP concerning Sino-Iranian relations with the backdrop of an incoming Trump administration. In particular, I highlight three themes that are featured in the piece — albeit in a simplified manner. (1) Gaza Trump’s election campaign included a promise that he will end the war in Gaza, with the president-elect…

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In a special essay, entitled “Gazing into the murky crystal ball 🔮”, I shared my thoughts with local Chinese media outlet Zaobao on Israel-Iran confrontation, the integrity of Syria, and what the future holds for the Middle East with a new US administration. You can find my remarks under my Chinese name, 蔡胜荣, in the…

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This review is completed for Bustan, published by Penn State University Press, Vol. 15, no . 2 (Winter Issue).

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As the US presidential race heats up, I spoke to Zhao Ziwen at SCMP on whether China has the desire and/or the capacity to plug the gaps left by Washington. I remarked that the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has largely stuck to the administration line, which has demonstrated a current lack of political…

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I spoke to Sébastien Castelier at Al Monitor on the need to invest in human capital of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, particularly when their governments are interested in propping up their knowledge-based economic sectors. Read the full briefing here.

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I was featured in Mothership‘s short documentary covering the painstaking process needed to reach a ceasefire agreement on Gaza. Besides the bleak realities, I provided some contextual background of the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. See the clips below. Summary: Today marks exactly one year since the Israel-Hamas War started on Oct. 7, 2023. Over the past…

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