Raghida Dergham

Raghida Dergham

Raghida Dergham is the Founder & Executive Chair at Beirut Institute. She’s also an adviser to Al Arabiya and Al Hadath on US and international affairs in addition to being a geopolitical columnist and a member of CFR.

Between delay and indecisiveness: Iran buys time as Trump faces the critical moment

The hallmarks of ambiguity and hesitation have become costly for President Donald Trump, as he appears suspended between diplomatic and military options, dancing to the skillful timing of Iran’s......

Iran’s concessions in the balance: Either the cup of poison or suicide

If Iranian concessions are to meet the expectations of US President Donald Trump, they will require Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to craft a narrative capable of persuading his base that he has been......

US-Iran talks in Oman: A beginning of dialogue in the shadow of distrust

The American-Iranian talks in Oman were not about tangible progress but rather an opening for potential negotiations between the two sides. The White House considered the talks a good occasion to......

Trump and Iran: Strategic uncertainty or manipulative escalation?

Whether President Donald Trump reconsiders toppling the regime in Tehran, or he fails to do so. Whether he directs military and cyber strikes designed to paralyze the regime’s entire infrastructure,......

Donald Trump confronts the world with a harsh mirror

Donald Trump’s presence in Davos was never an isolated event; it was a mirror reflecting the state of the world under his era. Davos did not create Trump, and Trump does not need Davos to assert his......

Trump holds the world on a tightrope of suspense in Iran

The first point that needs to be made regarding the future of the Iranian regime, following President Donald Trump’s warnings and measures, is that the Islamic Republic, established in 1979, is......

The era of direct US power has begun, moving past intimidation and persuasion

The era of American influence has begun to transcend intimidation through sanctions or persuasion via diplomacy. Today’s America is an America of force: it imposes militarily, strangles economically,......

Trump the global time manager: A warning to procrastinators

Most of the world’s capitals are preoccupied with managing crises, while Washington, under Donald Trump, manages time. Time itself has become a central element at the heart of policies and......