June, 2021

• 25 June

  Raisi’s Election Is Galvanizing Both Sides of the Iran Nuclear Deal Debate

  

  As the regime-anointed candidate in Iran’s presidential election charade last Friday, Ebrahim Raisi’s victory was thoroughly expected. Even so, it managed to be jarring. It’s not every day a country chooses a man accused of crimes against humanity for such a powerful post, with all signs pointing to Raisi acquiring …

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• 25 June

  Egypt Maneuvers Back to Center Stage

  

  During his first four months in office, U.S. President Joe Biden did not speak with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi—a notable departure from precedent given the history of close security ties between the two countries. But after months of silence, Biden spoke with Sisi twice over the course of five …

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• 25 June

  At Lebanon war memorial, Gantz says next conflicts likely to need ground troops

  

  ‘We are keeping our eyes open, maintaining the routine, while remaining prepared,’ says defense minister at event marking 15 years from Second Lebanon War Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned on Thursday that future military conflicts are likely to involve Israeli ground troops. Speaking at a memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl …

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• 25 June

  After Kohavi meeting, US reaffirms commitment to not let Iran get nukes

  

  IDF chief blasts American plans to rejoin nuclear deal in meeting with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi that US President Joe Biden has a “commitment to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” according to …

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• 25 June

  Attack on Iranian nuclear site damaged centrifuge production facility – reports

  

  Despite Tehran’s claims to the contrary, opposition sources say attempted sabotage reported earlier in the day was successful, hitting complex previous sanctioned by the US, UN The attempted attack on an Iranian nuclear site outside Tehran that was reported on Wednesday targeted a facility used in the construction of centrifuges …

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• 25 June

  How Biden Helped Hardliner Raisi Win Iran Election

  

  It was common knowledge that a U.S. failure to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal (known as the JCPOA) before Iran’s June presidential election would help conservative hard-liners to win the election. Indeed, on Saturday, June 19, the conservative Ebrahim Raisi was elected as the new President of Iran. Raisi has …

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• 25 June

  Living with World’s End in Plain Sight

  

  Groton and New London, Connecticut, are home to about 65,000 people, three colleges, the Coast Guard Academy, 15 nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarines capable of destroying the world many times over, and General Dynamics’ Electric Boat, a multi-billion-dollar private corporation that offers stock options to its shareholders and mega-salaries to its top …

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• 25 June

  The Insurgency Against Big Oil

  

  While Australian politicians languish in a world blotched by climate change scepticism and fossil fuel love-ins, global oil and gas companies have been shaken. Three titans of oil fame – Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron – faced a range of decisions in May that promise to dramatically shape their future operations. …

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• 25 June

  Egypt looks to Islamic bond market for foreign investment boost

  

  Egypt’s sovereign bonds bill paves the way for Egypt to join the Islamic finance market, allowing foreign investment in national projects such as the Suez Canal and Aswan Dam, which affects Egyptian national security. The Egyptian parliament gave June 6 initial approval for a bill on the issuance of Sharia-compliant …

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• 25 June

  Egypt uses soft power in pursuing medical projects in Africa

  

  Egypt announces health projects and agreements with South Sudan, Djibouti and Rwanda. In a Facebook post on June 19, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the establishment of a malaria control project in South Sudan to be funded by the ministry’s Agency of Partnership for Development. The announcement came …

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