Middle Orient

As the Kingdom steadily treads its path in line with Vision 2030, it won’t stop startling those less vigilant watchers who trumpet stereotypes instead of more nuanced analyses. The Cabinet’s approval of Saudi Arabia’s partnership with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization did not happen out of the blue. A meticulous process …

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly denounced the hazardous escalation by Israeli occupation forces and terrorist settlers who repeatedly attacked the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan. The OIC issued a communiqué on Saturday following an unusual open-ended meeting of the organization’s Executive Committee. The communiqué …

As Russian troops continue their assault on Ukraine, Western countries persist in invoking international law, imposing crippling sanctions against Russian leaders and entities while publicly supporting Ukrainian armed resistance and opening their borders with open arms to refugees. However, we see such support utterly absent for people enduring Israel’s illegal …

Isolated by the West, Russia and Iran are looking to ease sanctions pressure by forging a new economic corridorthat boosts bilateral trade and connects them with fast-growing India – but the project’s effectiveness could yet be undermined by sanctions as well as logistical challenges and geopolitical tensions. The International North-South …

America is in decline. Eclipsed by China’s rise, it is shifting attention from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific. That is one refrain in the analysis of three seemingly paradigm-challenging developments in the past month: a Chinese-mediated restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the kingdom’s association with …

Saudi and Omani delegations held talks with Houthi officials in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Sunday, Houthi-run media said, as Riyadh seeks a permanent ceasefire to end its military involvement in the country’s long-running war. The visit indicates progress in the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which run in parallel …

In February 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly confirmed that the Biden Administration supports a possible sale of F-16 fighter aircraft to Turkey (Türkiye), and has engaged Congress on the issue. According to January 2023 media reports citing unnamed U.S. officials, the Administration informally notified Congress of its intent …

The 164 km Rasht-Astara railway route in Iran’s Gilan Province is of great importance in the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), because it is the only remaining rail part of this corridor, writes Valdai Club expert Vali Kaleji. In his article, Dr. Vali Kaleji, a Tehran-based expert on Central Asia …

The delegation has reportedly discussed efforts to coordinate action against Israel. As Israel staves off rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon’s border in an apparent response to the escalation in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque — Islam’s third holiest site — a Hamas delegation led by the head of …

Hemingway’s law of motion says change comes gradually, then suddenly. The other China deal Much attention has been rightly focused on China’s role in closing the deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to reestablish diplomatic relations. Another deal has gotten less attention, but may be just as telling in serving …