Middle Orient

In spite of US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley’s recently having said that the White House is not going to “waste our time” on the nuclear deal “if nothing’s going to happen,” he nevertheless stressed that the Biden administration is still committed to employing diplomacy, presumably to revive it …

Russian and Ukrainian monitors have reportedly suspended the inspections required by a grain-exportation deal that Moscow insists is unfairly benefitting Kyiv. Turkey is stepping up efforts to salvage a critical deal to export Ukrainian grains after Russia announced it was suspending its participation over alleged Ukrainian attacks on occupied Crimea. …

The Free Syrian Army’s Third Legion is reportedly preventing fuel from reaching Idlib, which is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, after the recent fighting between the two parties. Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib is suffering from severe fuel shortages amid reports that Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army factions are preventing fuel …

Pentagon officials would not corroborate a Saudi report of a potential imminent attack from Iran on Saudi Arabia and Iraq. US military and intelligence officials have been in close touch with counterparts in Saudi Arabia over a potential attack in the region by Iran, US officials said on Tuesday.

Iran’s nationwide uprising is marking its 47th day on Tuesday after college students took to the streets in dozens of universities across the country the day before. Students of all ages are relentlessly pursuing their protests against the regime’s escalating crackdown through their official security forces and plainclothes agents. Many …

An interview between a Ukrainian journalist and a Russian Israeli oligarch led to the diplomatic incident. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have both denied assembling Iranian drones in their territories.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani faces multiple challenges and constituencies to move his agenda. The Iraqi parliament approved the new government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Oct. 27, as the 29-page ministerial program put forth by Sudani was put to a vote and received more than 250 of 329 …

Iran played a key role in helping form the new Iraqi government. Iraq’s new government under Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani is likely to be on better terms with Iran than the previous government. The Coordination Framework, the coalition which brought Sudani to office last week, and which consists of …

MBS’s Vision of a New Nonaligned Movement On October 5, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its ten partner states agreed to slash oil production by two million barrels per day. The decision was at once predictable and shocking. It was predictable because OPEC+, under the leadership of …

Riyadh and Tehran are rivals on almost everything, but they are both supporting Russia’s war effort to give Washington a black eye. As Russia’s aggression against Ukraine intensifies, two Middle Eastern powers that are usually on opposite sides in most conflicts are aiding Moscow. Iran is reportedly delivering weapons, namely …