Slovenia’s prime minister and other former US officials also speak at virtual event held by Mujahedeen-e-Khalq. Former Obama and Trump administration officials as well as Slovenia’s premier attended a Sunday event held by the controversial Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e Khalq, leading to criticism. The organization’s Free Iran 2021 World Summit …
Read More »Iran says US prisoner swap negotiations underway
The Iranian comments followed US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley’s pledge that the United States would not accept a partial deal that does not bring home all four detained Americans from Iran. Iran said Tuesday that negotiations are ongoing over a possible prisoner exchange with the United States as …
Read More »Confrontation between US, pro-Iranian groups in Syria and Iraq poses challenges for Russia
While Moscow does not yet have the resources to eliminate Iranian influence in Syria, it would be in its interests to at least prevent the expansion of the activities of pro-Iranian paramilitary structures. On the evening of June 27, the United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on targets …
Read More »America’s Afghan War Is Over, So What About Iraq – and Iran?
At Bagram air-base, Afghan scrap merchants are already picking through the graveyard of U.S. military equipment that was until recently the headquarters of America’s 20-year occupation of their country. Afghan officials say the last U.S. forces slipped away from Bagram in the dead of night, without notice or coordination. The …
Read More »Bedouin businessman arrested for providing intelligence to Iran
Abu-alQian was arrested on June 10th following a joint investigation by the Shin Bet and Israel police. Bedouin businessman Yaakub Abu Alqian was indicted on serious offenses including contact with a foreign agent and providing intelligence to an enemy country, the Shin Bet internal security agency announced on Monday. Abu-alQian …
Read More »Iranian commander says border ‘fully secure’ after Taliban seizes key town
The Taliban has gained control of a border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran ahead of the pending US troop withdrawal. The Taliban has taken control of a major Iran-Afghanistan border crossing, prompting a response from an Iranian commander. Iran and the Islamic fundamentalist movement have cordial relations ahead of the …
Read More »OPEC+ and the specter of Iranian oil
On the eve of the July 2021 OPEC+ meeting, it was expected that the threat of Iran’s imminent return to the oil market would force the cartel to reconsider its plans to increase production to reduce volumes that would be brought to market in the second half of 2021. There …
Read More »Russian-Iranian relations under Raisi and possible post-Khamenei scenarios
On June 18, Ebrahim Raisi won a landslide victory in Iran’s presidential elections. After Raisi’s triumph, Maxim Suslov, the press attaché of the Russian Embassy in Tehran, transmitted a message from President Vladimir Putin congratulating Raisi on his win and pledging to strengthen Russia-Iran bilateral relations. Iranian Ambassador to Russia …
Read More »Iran has declared war on the US in Iraq through its proxies – analysis
Iran has done this before, using pro-Iranian groups in Iraq to wage an insurgency against America after the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq. Daily rocket and drone attacks on the US in Iraq are no longer just the harassment that began in May 2019. The targeted attacks are increasing, and …
Read More »In Tehran talks, Iran offers help to resolve Taliban-Afghan crisis
Shi’ite Muslim Iran has been a foe of the hardline Sunni Muslim Taliban for decades, but for the past few years it has been openly meeting Taliban leaders. Iran on Wednesday told Taliban and Afghan government representatives it stood ready to help end the crisis in Afghanistan, urging the country’s …
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