Recent Posts

Turkey’s self-made currency crisis

Following the resignation of the finance minister and his replacement by a loyalist on Dec. 2, the Turkish lira continued its steady decline against the dollar, bringing its losses for the year to nearly 50%. The Turkish currency is once again under speculative attack, similar to previous episodes in July …

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OPEC+ faces new tests to its market balancing strategy in 2022

When President Joe Biden’s White House announced that it had successfully enlisted several major oil-consuming countries in an effort to coordinate releases from strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs) around the world, it looked like this would be the only major factor in oil markets that OPEC+ would need to consider at …

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More continuity than change in Tehran

Ahead of the seventh round of the Iran nuclear negotiations that ended on Dec. 3 in Vienna, many observers interpreted Ebrahim Raisi’s election to the presidency and his recent rhetoric as representing a distinct shift in Iran’s nuclear strategy. Indeed, in November, Raisi’s government’s official newspaper Iran explained that Tehran’s …

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SDF Should Choose Between Moscow, Washington, and Damascus

These days, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militias have reached a three-way crossroad. The SDF could move towards Damascus, and sit at the table with the legitimate government, it could embrace Moscow and avoid breaking ties with it, or it might maintain its alliance with Washington and the U.S. occupation, …

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SDC: Ready for “Real, Constructive Dialogue” with Damascus

The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) has expressed its readiness to participate in a “genuine, constructive dialogue process” with the Damascus government. SDC considers this step to be one of the most important processes for resolving the Syrian crisis through a Russian-American consensus. In remarks quoted by opposition websites, SDC president …

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UAE and France sign deal for 80 Rafale fighter jets

France and the United Arab Emirates confirmed on Friday that they had signed deal on the supply of 80 Rafale warplanes, manufactured by French company Dassault Aviation, Reuters reported. French President Emmanuel Macron has forged a good relationship with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (MBZ), with …

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Conflict Trend Update

LIBYA Candidates in Libya’s 24 December presidential election are turning to the courts in likely futile last-ditch attempts to bar controversial rivals from the race. A local court ordered the electoral commission Wednesday to drop Khalifa Haftar, head of the military coalition that launched a war against Tripoli in 2019, …

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