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How Saudi Arabia Is Trying to Counter Iranian Influence in Iraq

Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi made his first trip to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The visit was part of a broad effort by Saudi Arabia to counter the growing regional influence of its rival, Iran, by deepening political and economic …

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Why Trump’s Maximum Pressure Strategy Won’t Get Iran Back to the Negotiating Table

The Trump administration’s strategy of applying “maximum pressure” on Iran has succeeded in inflicting unprecedented economic pain on the country, particularly since the U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and subsequently reimposed punishing sanctions.

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What Comes Next in the Standoff Between the U.S. and Iran?

In May 2018, when U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on a campaign promise to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 multilateral deal limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment program, Tehran initially reacted by adopting a posture of strategic patience. But after European attempts to keep the deal afloat failed to deliver …

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What do Turkey's Kurds expect from Biden's presidency?

Pro-Kurdish political parties in Turkey are keeping their hope for Joe Biden’s presidency with utmost caution. Turkey’s Kurds have reacted with cautious optimism over the election victory of former Vice President Joe Biden, hoping that new administration policies might force Turkey to pursue a more reconciliatory approach toward the Kurds, …

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Cash-strapped Turkey relies on Qatari investments

In only five years, Qatar has come to account for 15% of all foreign direct investments in Turkey, second only to deep-rooted Dutch investors. Scrambling to draw foreign investors to ease Turkey’s hard currency crunch, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has once again turned to its closest ally, Qatar. The …

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North Cyprus leader pushes for two-state solution, agrees to informal summit

North Cyprus President Ersin Tatar reiterated support for a two-state solution as the island’s two leaders agreed to participate in an informal summit during talks with UN envoy Jane Holl Lute Tuesday. The newly elected leader of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, reiterated his stance on …

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US confirms Greece is seeking to buy F-35s amid tensions with Turkey

The US acknowledgment follows a report earlier this month that Athens formally requested to buy as many as 24 of the advanced fighter aircraft. The United States’ ambassador to Greece confirmed in a statement today that Athens has sought to purchase Lockheed Martin’s advanced F-35 fighter jet amid tensions with …

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