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Russia and Iran Agree to Deepen Security Ties

Latest Developments Russia is ready to expand military and technical cooperation with Iran, the Russian state-owned media outlet RIA Novosti reported on April 26. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Iranian counterpart Gharaei Ashtiani discussed enhanced security ties during a meeting in Kazakhstan of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a …

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Ukraine welcomes delayed US aid but few say they expect Russia’s defeat

Experts say the $61bn package that was debated for months will replenish military stocks but won’t help Kyiv’s forces counterattack. Tamara was pregnant when she had to hide for three weeks in the ice-cold basement of her house in Chernihiv, a northern Ukrainian city. “When [Russian bomber] planes were above …

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Putin’s Brittle Regime

Like the Soviet One That Preceded It, His System Is Always on the Brink of Collapse By many outward appearances, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power is stronger than ever. The country has rebounded from early military defeats in Ukraine and the initial shock of Western sanctions. State oil …

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The four-country push in Europe to recognise Palestine as a state

Last week, European leaders agreed for the first time to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. By then, more than 34,000 Palestinians – two-thirds of them women and children – had been killed in Israel’s war, launched after Hamas’ deadly 7 October attack. Spain, Ireland, Belgium, and France constitute the …

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The long shadow of US and UK torture in the Middle East

In-depth: The failure to address past violations in the ‘war on terror’ has enabled UK and US-backed torture practices to re-emerge, this time in Syria. The US and UK’s complicity in torture and detention practices has once again come under the spotlight amid revelations of the systematic abuses and preventable …

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Is an Anti-Iran Alliance Emerging in the Middle East?

The Limits of Cooperation Between Israel and the Arab States When Iran directed over 300 missiles and drones at Israel on April 13, Jordan helped fend off the attack. Initial media reports suggested that several other Arab states assisted in Israel’s defense, efforts they later denied. Nonetheless, a chorus of …

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The Axis of Upheaval

How America’s Adversaries Are Uniting to Overturn the Global Order In the early morning of January 2, Russian forces launched a massive missile attack on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv that killed at least five civilians, injured more than 100, and damaged infrastructure. The incident was notable not …

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The Ideological Coup: How Disciples of Kahane Became the New Face of Israel

Throughout history, fringe religious Zionist parties have had limited success in achieving the kind of electoral victories that would allow them an actual share in the country’s political decision-making. The impressive number of 17 seats won by Israel’s extremist religious party, Shas, in the 1999 elections, was a watershed moment …

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Russian Influence In South Caucasus Should Not Be Written Off – OpEd

Has the South Caucasus become the new Middle East? Or has it become a second playing field for the Middle East’s geopolitical interests? Analysts often use the Syrian file to link both regions. We notice in both these files the same players: Turkiye, Russia, Iran and, in the background, the …

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