Iran

The Gulf States and the Iran Nuclear Deal: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

While they fear what might come next, leaders across the Gulf are begrudgingly backing the resumption of talks on reviving the JCPOA. Talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal are set to resume in Vienna this week after a six-month hiatus. Negotiating teams from Iran and the five permanent members …

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Iran’s Nuclear Strategy

The parties to the world’s nuclear deal with Iran, including Iran itself, have started a new round of discussions – the seventh since April 2021, when newly elected US president Joe Biden initiated meetings aimed at America re-entering an updated agreement. The talks – if you can call a meeting …

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Iran denies having military base in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition claimed it bombed a secret facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Yemen. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson denied Saudi claims that Tehran has a military facility in Yemen yesterday. “Such baseless declarations are made to deflect the nations of the region and the world’s public …

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More continuity than change in Tehran

Ahead of the seventh round of the Iran nuclear negotiations that ended on Dec. 3 in Vienna, many observers interpreted Ebrahim Raisi’s election to the presidency and his recent rhetoric as representing a distinct shift in Iran’s nuclear strategy. Indeed, in November, Raisi’s government’s official newspaper Iran explained that Tehran’s …

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New Russian Message to Israel in Syria: Iran Influence Long Gone?

The Russian rapprochement with Israel seems to be increasing day by day in Syria, at a point where the interests of both sides meet, each according to their strategy, especially in diminishing the influence of Iran in Syria. In what appears to be a new message for Israel, the Russian …

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Conflict Trend Update

LIBYA Candidates in Libya’s 24 December presidential election are turning to the courts in likely futile last-ditch attempts to bar controversial rivals from the race. A local court ordered the electoral commission Wednesday to drop Khalifa Haftar, head of the military coalition that launched a war against Tripoli in 2019, …

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Bennett urges Blinken to end Iran talks over ‘nuclear blackmail’

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called for an “immediate cessation of negotiations” in Vienna. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged the United States on Thursday to immediately call off the seventh round of indirect negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. In a phone call with US Secretary of State …

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All Against All

The Sectarian Resurgence in the Post-American Middle East The Biden administration’s mantra for the Middle East is simple: “end the ‘forever wars.’” The White House is preoccupied with managing the challenge posed by China and aims to disentangle the United States from the Middle East’s seemingly endless and unwinnable conflicts. …

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Iranian forces, Taliban clash over Afghan ‘border misunderstanding’

Iranian media denied reports that several Iranian border checkpoints fell to the Taliban on Wednesday. Clashes between Iranian forces and Afghanistan’s Taliban fighters have ended, Iranian state news outlets reported on Wednesday, blaming a “border misunderstanding” for the incident. “The clashes ended and Iran is discussing the dispute over the …

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Stop Iranian Drones Act introduced by House Foreign Affairs C’mtee reps

The legislation states that it is US policy to prevent Iran and Iranian-aligned groups from acquiring UAVs that can be used in attacks against the US or allies. A bipartisan group of leading members from the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced the Stop Iranian Drones Act (SIDA) on Tuesday. According …

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