There has been a lot of saber-rattling in recent days on the Iranian side of their border with Azerbaijan. One analysis suggests three reasons: a joint drill by Azerbaijani, Pakistani, and Turkish troops, which occurred 500 kilometers from the Iranian border; Azerbaijani restrictions on Iranian truck drivers’ access to roads, …
Read More »War still rages in Syrian border town at heart of Iran’s regional ambition
From a ridge known locally as Baghouz Mountain, the most contested corner of the Middle East resembles an oasis: it’s a splash of green on a desert horizon stretching from the banks of the Euphrates to a sprawling area of new homes housing new – and unruly – neighbours. Little …
Read More »Iran wants to goad Russia into Caucasus tensions – analysis
Iran wants Russia to know that it is concerned by both the presence of Israel-Azerbaijan relations as well as Turkey’s moves to open up a land corridor. Iran is worried. It sees an emerging alliance between Turkey and Azerbaijan as well as between Azerbaijan and Israel as potentially cutting it …
Read More »Iran-Saudi talks have gone a ‘good distance’ – Iran’s foreign minister
Three rounds of Saudi-Iranian talks were held in Iraq in the months before Iran’s new hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, took office in August. Talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia have gone a “good distance,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told a news conference in Beirut on Thursday, referring to efforts …
Read More »The world is waking up to Iran’s drone threat
Iran’s drone program, unlike its nuclear weapons program, is not secretive. The Islamic Republic openly brags about its drone capabilities. Iranian drones are an emerging threat to the Middle East. In 2019, Iran used a combination of drones and cruise missiles to attack the giant Abqaiq oil-processing facility in Saudi …
Read More »Iran, Russia Discuss Regional Issues, Promotion Of Ties
The foreign ministers of Iran and Russia announced at a joint press conference that they have talked about the enhancement of Tehran-Moscow relations, preparations for a presidential meeting, and the regional developments as in Afghanistan and the Caucasus. Speaking at a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, held …
Read More »Kurdish party in Iran claims killing of Iranian intelligence operative
The news comes at a time of high tension between Kurdish groups and the Islamic Republic. A Kurdish political party in Iran said Tuesday that its operatives killed an Iranian intelligence agent allegedly responsible for killing Kurdish activists. The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) said that Khidir Pirotipenah was …
Read More »Oil minister says Iran capable of resolving global fuel ‘crisis’
Iran’s oil minister said if sanctions targeting his country’s lifeline crude are lifted, the Islamic Republic will have every capability to tackle the world’s energy supply shortages. “Iran is ready to resolve the ongoing fuel crisis in the world and make up for the shortages,” declared Iranian Oil Minister Javad …
Read More »Tensions In Tehran-Baku Relations And Iran’s Ideological And Revolutionary Foreign Policy – OpEd
“Karabakh belongs to the Republic of Azerbaijan and it is part of Islam”, “Karabakh belongs to the Republic of Azerbaijan and must be returned to it”; these are just some of the comments made by Iranian Shiite clerics last year who are close to government institutions in the Iranian political …
Read More »Iran assassinating Israeli businessmen: What is the game plan? – analysis
This would not be the first time that Iran, or its proxy Hezbollah, would have tried to attack or surveil Israelis in Cyprus. If Iran was behind it, the attempted assassination of Israelis in Cyprus would be part of a long and open account Iran has for Israel. In the …
Read More »