By Christian Emery, UCL (The Conversation) – The US president, Donald Trump, is weighing up whether to join Israel in attacking Iran. The fact he is even contemplating such a move is, in my opinion, a direct consequence of his 2018 decision to tear up the agreement negotiated during Barack Obama’s presidency that limited Iran’s […]
Israel’s Attacks have Exposed Iran’s Weaknesses, but it is in Little Danger of Collapsing
By Farhang Morady, University of Westminster The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that his country’s campaign in Iran “could certainly” lead to regime change. In an interview with Fox News on June 15, he called the government in Tehran “very weak” and added that, given the opportunity, “80% of the [Iranian] people would […]
Israel-Iran War: History shows you cannot assassinate your way to Peace
By Matt Fitzpatrick, Flinders University (The Conversation) – In the late 1960s, the prevailing opinion among Israeli Shin Bet intelligence officers was that the key to defeating the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was to assassinate its then-leader Yasser Arafat. The elimination of Arafat, the Shin Bet commander Yehuda Arbel wrote in his diary, was “a precondition […]
Recycling Solar Panels will Reduce Waste, but We Should Repair and Reuse First
By Deepika Mathur, Charles Darwin University and Robin Gregory, Charles Darwin University (The Conversation) – Australia’s rooftop solar industry has renewed calls for a mandatory recycling scheme to deal with the growing problem of solar panel waste. Only about 10% of panels are currently recycled. The rest are stockpiled, sent overseas or dumped in landfill. […]
Why did Israel defy Trump – and risk a major War – by striking Iran now? And what happens next?
By Amin Saikal, Victoria University (The Conversation) – Alarmed by an intelligence assessment that Iran will be able to produce nuclear weapons within months if not weeks, Israel has launched a massive air campaign aiming to destroy the country’s nuclear program. Israel’s air strikes hit Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, as well as […]
Sanctioning extremist Israeli Ministers is a Start, but More must be Done
By Jessica Whyte, UNSW Sydney and Sara Dehm, University of Technology Sydney (The Conversation) – The Australian government is imposing financial and travel sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers: Itamar Ben-Gvir (the national security minister) and Bezalel Smotrich (finance minister). This is a significant development. While Australia has previously sanctioned seven individual Israeli settlers, Ben-Gvir […]
Ocean currents can generate electricity – and our Study shows Africa’s Seas have some of the Strongest
By James H. VanZwieten Jr., Florida Atlantic University; Gabriel Alsenas, Florida Atlantic University; Mahsan Sadoughipour, Florida Atlantic University, and Yufei Tang, Florida Atlantic University (The Conversation) – The world’s oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface. They’re filled with currents, some much stronger than the fastest flowing large rivers. These currents can be harnessed […]
Climate Breakdown makes Atmosphere Thirstier, Worsens Droughts
By Solomon Gebrechorkos, University of Oxford (The Conversation) – Droughts are becoming more severe and widespread across the globe. But it’s not just changing rainfall patterns that are to blame. The atmosphere is also getting thirstier. In a new study published in Nature, my colleagues and I show that this rising “atmospheric thirst” – also […]
Trump’s Middle East Pivot aims to counter China’s rising Influence
By Maria Papageorgiou, Newcastle University (The Conversation) – The US president, Donald Trump, claimed he was able to secure deals totalling more than US$2 trillion (£1.5 trillion) for the US on his tour of the Gulf states in May. Trump said “there has never been anything like” the amount of jobs and money these agreements […]