Researcher & co-founder

Baran Ayguven

Baran is a co-founder of the London Forum for Middle East Affairs. He writes about conflict, security, and geopolitical risk, with a focus on the Middle East.

01 / Research & analysis

Publications

Read the papers, explore the research, and download the full texts.

UN Submission

Arms Build-up, Arms Control and the Right to Development

Yemen and the Houthi arms supply network as a case study: a submission examining how arms build-ups, weak arms control, and prolonged insecurity undermine the right to development.

September 202622-page PDF

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Submitted to EMRTD

By Baran Ayguven and Malena Ehrenzeller

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Research Paper

Limits of Current Responses to Emerging Drone Threat

A research paper examining the challenges and limitations facing current responses to the emerging threat of drone-enabled terrorism.

August 29, 20268-page PDF

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Submission listed on OHCHR

By Baran Ayguven

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Research Paper

The Role of Mercenary and Private Security Actors in Illicit Resource and Arms Trafficking Networks in the Middle East and Africa

A research paper examining how mercenary and private security actors become embedded in illicit resource, logistics, and arms-trafficking networks across the Middle East and Africa.

February 15, 202618 Min Read

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Submission listed on OHCHR

By Baran Ayguven and Camille Drintcho

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Regional Focus

U.S. Middle East Security Policy After October 7

An assessment of the Biden administration's Middle East security policy after October 7, measuring deterrence, escalation control, U.S. personnel protection, regional stability, civilian harm mitigation, and shipping-lane security.

April 202516 Min Read

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By Baran Ayguven

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02 / UN consultations

Contributing to the discussion

Alongside his publications, Baran contributes research to United Nations calls for inputs on security and human rights.

Submissions available on OHCHR

OHCHR lists the following papers among the inputs received for its consultations.

These are publicly shared submissions; their listing does not imply citation in a UN report or endorsement by OHCHR.

Submitted · September 2026

Peace, security, and the right to development

With Malena Ehrenzeller, Baran examines how arms supply networks and weak arms control affect development in Yemen. Their paper was submitted to the UN Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (EMRTD).

The submission has not yet been cited in the study.

Read the paper View the OHCHR call

03 / Further writing

Elsewhere

The age of drone terrorism The Pinsker Centre · Originally published in Reaction