The US Treasury lifted most sanctions on Syria on May 23. The US Treasury issued Syria General License (GL) 25 to provide “immediate sanctions relief” to Syria in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s May 13 order to lift all sanctions on Syria.[i] The removal of sanctions will allow the …
Read More »Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (May 21-28, 2025)
The Supreme Leader of Iran reiterated his call for the Muslim world to mobilize to stop“Israel’s crimes in the Gaza Strip” and declared that the Palestinian issue is the most importantin the Islamic world. The Iranian foreign minister noted that, at this stage, there are no relations between Iran andSyria, …
Read More »What Would Russia Like From a New Iran Nuclear Deal?
U.S. President Donald Trump may have torn up the previous nuclear deal between the United States and Iran during his first term in office, but he now seems serious about signing a new one. Washington has not only held several rounds of talks with the Iranians, but also dropped many …
Read More »Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Fereydoon Abbasi: If I Receive Orders To Build A Nuclear Bomb – I Will Do It; We Can Build A Small Nuclear Bomb That Can Destroy A Whole Military Base, And Is Not Classified As A WMD; The Zionists Have A Chance To Leave Now, Whoever Stays Should Be Eliminated
Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, discussed Iran potentially building and detonating a nuclear weapon in a May 26, 2025 interview on SNN.ir (Iran). He said that he has not yet received orders to build a nuclear bomb – but if he does, he will …
Read More »Iranian Majlis National Security And Foreign Policy Committee Member Ahmad Bakhshayish Ardastani: As Part Of Its Mediation Efforts In The U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks, Oman Proposed That We Stop Enriching Uranium For Six Months And Then Restart; ‘The 300 kg Of Uranium Stored In Iran Is Equal To 10 Atom Bombs – And If Israel Continues Its Threats, We Will Be Able To Increase The Enrichment Level Even More’; ‘It Is The Americans Who Will Ultimately Change Their Positions’ – Not Iran
In a May 26, 2025 interview with the Didbaniran website, Ahmad Bakhshayish Ardastani, a member of the Iranian Majlis National Security And Foreign Policy Committee, detailed the main points of an Omani mediation offer proposed to Iran on May 23, as part of Oman’s mediation efforts in the U.S.-Iran nuclear …
Read More »From isolation to influence: Iran tries regional diplomatic comeback, starting with Bahrain and Egypt
Despite longstanding ideological and political differences, Tehran is working to rebuild ties with Egypt and Bahrain, hoping to ease regional tensions. Recent remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about restoring relations with Bahrain and Egypt have once again drawn attention to Iran’s strained diplomacy in the region. The comments …
Read More »Iran Update, May 27, 2025
A variety of Syrian armed groups, including those associated with the new transitional government, the Assad regime, and hardline Islamic groups, have committed a series of extrajudicial killings since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. CTP-ISW absolutely condemns these extrajudicial killings. Salafi-jihadi groups, such as the Islamic …
Read More »Can Trump Break The Iran Deadlock And Reshape The Middle East? – OpEd
The Trump administration’s pursuit of a negotiated agreement over Iran’s nuclear program is the only sound policy that can prevent a regional conflagration. Beyond that, it offers a unique opportunity that can change the regional security trajectory and potentially usher in long-term peace and stability The negotiations between the United …
Read More »Iran To Resume Drilling For Oil And Gas On Caspian Seabed – OpEd
Tehran has announced that it will resume drilling for oil and gas in the Caspian. It stopped such drilling in 1997 and ended its deep-water petroleum operations on that sea in 2014, but it now hopes to actively exploit the more than 600 million barrels of oil and 56.6 billion …
Read More »Iran Update, May 26, 2025
Truck drivers across Iran have launched a nationwide strike over rising insurance and maintenance costs and worsening economic conditions.[1] The truck drivers are protesting the government’s plan to cut the amount of subsidized diesel allocated to truckers.[2] Strikers also cited unaffordable insurance premiums, stagnant freight rates, and deteriorating road infrastructure.[3] …
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