Posts in Around the World
Not the End of ‘Shadow Wars’

Media headlines describe Iran’s missile attack on Israel as “unprecedented,” ending decades of “shadow wars” between the two nations. Yet, after Israel’s most recent retaliatory strike, it is clear these direct missile attacks are not a precursor to a conventional war, but rather a continuation of shadow war, centered on sending a message rather than inflicting physical damage.

— Alessia Coluccio

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The Imaginary Threat of NATO Expansion: Debunking a Common Excuse for Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered what will likely be regarded as among the most notorious speeches in modern history. His very first grievance in the address was perhaps the most critical, as he parroted a line long professed by ardent Russian foreign policy apologists: preventing NATO expansion.

— Zach Fotiadis

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544 Days: An inside look at U.S. foreign relations through one reporter’s time in an Iranian prison

What happens when a civilian reporter’s life gets wrapped up in bilateral nuclear power negotiations? To what extent does valuing an individual’s survival compare with the impending threat of violent conflict? For Jason Rezaian, these questions were not hypotheticals to be debated among international relations scholars or on the nightly news. Rather, the answers to them were the only bridge between a life trapped inside an eight-by-four foot cell and freedom.

— Mia Young

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