Middle Orient

Iran says US dollar officially ditched in trade with ally Russia

The Islamic Republic took the step following the Russian president’s meeting with Iran’s leader in Tehran, where the two explored options on how to push back on international sanctions. Iran’s Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi announced on July 26 that the US dollar has officially been ditched in his country’s trade …

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Israel rushes to de-escalate diplomatic crisis with Russia

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is now trying to discreetly resolve the diplomatic dispute between Moscow and Jerusalem so that the Jewish Agency can continue its activities there. Five months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel finds itself at a stand-off with President Vladimir Putin. The sophisticated balancing act executed by …

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Biden’s Trip: A Total Disappointment to Allies

The Islamic Republic of Iran did not murder just one American journalist… in 1983, Iran murdered 241 American servicemen in the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut. To top it off, then in 2018, Iran was ordered by a US federal court to pay billions of dollars in compensation to …

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Five Takeaways from Biden’s Visit to the Middle East

Russian, Iranian presidents aim to prevent Turkey from a new offensive in northern Syria. The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran are gathering in Tehran, with Ankara’s threat of a new incursion into northern Syria likely to top the agenda. While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has both domestic and …

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Five Takeaways from Biden’s Visit to the Middle East

Forget retrenchment: Strategic competition and boosting security cooperation, particularly to counter Iran, will keep Washington focused on the region. President Biden made his first trip to the Middle East last week, visiting Israel and Saudi Arabia. While the trip yielded little in the way of flashy announcements — like new …

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UK spy chief says he doesn’t think Iran supreme leader wants to reach nuclear deal

‘The deal is absolutely on the table but I don’t think the Iranians want it,’ MI6 director tells security forum; CIA chief says Tehran’s advance toward atomic bomb is ‘troubling’ Britain’s spy chief voiced doubt Thursday on reviving a landmark 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, saying Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali …

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Iran says it seeks nuclear deal guarantees so as ‘not to be stung twice’

‘The Americans must accept some commitments. We do not want an agreement at any price,’ Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran is seeking economic guarantees from the US to revive a long-stalled 2015 nuclear deal so as “not to be stung twice” the same way, its foreign minister said. The agreement, formally …

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UN nuclear chief: Iran’s program advancing at a gallop, we have little visibility

Rafael Grossi says project ‘has grown enormously, far beyond what it was in 2015,’ as Tehran creates new difficulties and negotiations remains stalled The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Friday that Iran’s nuclear program “is advancing at a gallop and we have very little visibility.” Speaking to …

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Towards a Regional Code of Conduct for Missiles in the Middle East

With missile stockpiles edging up across the Middle East, there is a clear need to develop a regional code for their acceptable use. The Middle East is entering a new missile age. More regional states are either developing indigenous production capabilities or importing missiles than ever before. Currently, 11 states …

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Friends with Benefits: Iran and Russia after the Ukraine Invasion

Despite speculation around Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent trip to Tehran, Russia–Iran relations remain firmly transactional. President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Tehran, coupled with intelligence released by the US about Iran’s provision of armed drones to Russia, has renewed speculation that the relationship between the two might finally be …

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