Diba Mirzaei

Despite decades of rivalry, Iran and Saudi Arabia have undertaken a cautious rapprochement since 2023. In the face of new protests in Iran and shifting regional dynamics, Riyadh prioritizes stability and opposes any regime change that could further destabilize the Middle East.

Europe plays a limited role in Gulf investments and the geopolitical considerations behind them. International mediation is urgently required in Gaza and Sudan. Lebanon and Syria are threatened by fragmentation. We present ten things set to inform events in the Middle East and North Africa in 2026.

On 13 June 2025, Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran, two days before the sixth round of US–Iran nuclear talks were due to begin in Oman. Analysis is provided of how the war has transformed Iranian politics domestically, regionally, and internationally.

From the Gaza War and ethnic conflicts in Lebanon and Syria to the significance of a second Trump administration for the region, the MENA remains of central importance for Europe. We present ten topics that will play a prominent role in relations between the two regions in the year ahead.

Mit Tilo Jung spricht GIGA-Forscherin Diba Mirzaei über den Krieg der USA und Israels gegen den Iran und über die Geschichte des Landes. In dem dreieinhalbstündigen Gespräch erzählt sie auch von ihrem Werdegang und teilt persönliche Diskriminierungserfahrungen. 

Diba Mirzaei spricht in der Tagesschau darüber, warum Iran keinen konventionellen Krieg führt, ob Donald Trump überrascht ist von der iranischen Kriegsführung, was wir über den Zustand von Mojtaba Khamenei wissen und in welch schwieriger Situation sich die Golfstaaten befinden.