In Trump’s final days, the White House introduced a slew of new sanctions aimed at hindering a return to the nuclear deal. Yet since the designations were so blatantly politicized, the risk of undoing them is politically manageable. In the fall of 2020, as Trump administration foreign policy officials anticipated …
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Crackdown on dissent highlights Turkey’s drift from democracy
A recent decision to nullify a parliamentary vote and ongoing targeting of opposition lawmakers are further evidence of Turkey’s slide away from a democratic system. A recent move by Turkey’s ruling party to override opposition in parliament, alongside an ongoing crackdown on dissent more broadly, has cast doubt on the …
Read More »China looms large in Turkey’s controversial waterway project
Turkey is reportedly gearing up to partner with China in the construction of an artificial waterway parallel to the Bosporus, a project with likely implications for Russia and the United States in the Black Sea. While Turkey remains stuck between the West and Russia on a number of strategic issues, …
Read More »Turkey, US in rare position of unity over Ukraine
Russia’s Turkey policy to “drive a wedge between Turkey and its NATO allies” will not likely bear fruit when it comes to Ukraine. Turkey’s relationship with the United States is on the rocks, and the most immediate cause is Ankara’s refusal to get rid of its newly acquired, Russian-manufactured S-400 …
Read More »Islamic State maintains foothold in Syrian desert
The Islamic State continues to cause trouble for the regime forces in large desert areas of central and eastern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on March 31 that six Russian fighter jets launched 15 airstrikes against Islamic State positions in the Syrian desert near the Aleppo-Hama-Raqqa triangle. …
Read More »New Natanz Nuclear Novelties Neutralized by Network’s No-Go
Iran on Sunday reported that an electrical failure had led to a sweeping power outage in its Natanz nuclear facility, less than one day after new uranium enrichment equipment was plugged in at the site. According to Iranian officials, the incident, which has shut down the complex’s new advanced centrifuges, …
Read More »Riyadh Executes Three Soldiers for Treason
Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed three of its soldiers for high treason after the three, who were employees in Riyadh’s defense ministry, were convicted of cooperating with enemy forces. Mohammed bin Ahmed, Shaher bin Issa and Hamoud bin Ibrahim were sentenced earlier this year by what Saudi officials said was …
Read More »Bin Salman loves American culture and China’s governance model
In their book Blood and Oil, Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck reveal a side to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman that loves all things American. From the popular video game Call of Duty, to Apple products, to an old-fashioned Big Mac burger from McDonald’s, he is known to have …
Read More »Israel is an apartheid state so US should stop aid, say Americans in poll
A new survey has found further evidence of waning support for Israel within the US with more Americans saying that they do not want the Zionist state to be a major recipient of US aid. The poll was conducted following the release of a report by Israeli human rights group …
Read More »Israel considers possibility of devastating attack by Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq
The Institute for National Security Studies has speculated in a report entitled Nothing Remains the Same that Israel is assessing the possibility that major cities and strategic sites will be hard-hit by precision rockets from various fronts. Brigadier Major-General Udi Dekel, who prepared the report, has stated that the scenario …
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