Iran

Biggest East Asian move into Mideast since the Mongol Empire: In Open Challenge to US, China inks 25-year, $400 bn Deal with Iran

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Saturday, IRNA reports, Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement. The signatures were affixed in Tehran by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a ceremony on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of modern diplomatic relations between Iran and China. […]

Iran

Trump put the US on a War footing Iran: Biden must Reverse that Immediately

Foreign Policy in Focus

By Manon Dark | – ( Foreign Policy in Focus) – The current controversy over Iran’s nuclear program is one of Trump’s lingering foreign policy legacies that has proved particularly difficult for President Joe Biden to resolve. The U.S. withdrawal in May 2018 from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran nuclear […]

Iran

Amid Nuclear Standoff, Who’s In The Running To Take The Reins In Iran?

Golnaz Esfandiari

(RFE/ RL ) – Iran will hold a presidential election in less than three months amid speculation that a hard-liner and a “military man” could succeed Hassan Rohani, who is serving his final term and is under heavy pressure from his hard-line opponents who have consolidated power in the Islamic republic. As with all elections […]

China

Not Waiting on Biden: China breaks US Iran Blockade, moves to import nearly 1 mn b/d of Ayatolllah’s Oil

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – China is dramatically ramping up its imports of petroleum from Iran this spring, going from a daily average of 300,000 barrels per day during the past year to 856,000 bpd. So reports Felicity Bradstock of Oilprice.com. The Biden administration has dragged its feet on negotiating a return to the 2015 […]

Iran

Iran’s leaders signal interest in new nuclear deal, but U.S. must act soon

The Conversation

By James Devine | – On the campaign trail, Joe Biden pledged that if elected he would quickly return the United States to the Joint Collective Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. But negotiations have been slow to materialize, and with Iran’s presidential elections scheduled to take place in June, […]

Bashar al-Assad

Is it still possible to prevent the collapse of Syria?

Middle East Monitor

By Marwan Kabalan | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Syrian intellectuals and activists from across political and intellectual spheres are busy searching for a way out of the disastrous situation their country has reached after ten years of violent conflict. The issue is not straightforward, and the exit is unclear, with everyone trying […]

censorship

For the Sake of Preventing More Journalists’ Murders, Biden Must Punish Saudi Arabia’s MBS (And I Should Know)

Sara Jamshidi

Seattle (Special to Informed Comment) – The horrific outcome of Jamal Khashoggi’s story is not dissimilar to the tales of many journalists, including my own, who decide to fight against tyranny using words instead of violence. Fear, terror, and horror cannot begin to describe the common situations in which we find ourselves. Back in Tehran, […]

GCC

Israeli-Iranian Shadow Naval War in Arabian Gulf puts Arab Gulf States in Cross-hairs

Middle East Monitor

By Hazem Ayyad | – ( Middle East Monitor) – The Arabian Gulf has turned into an arena for confrontation and possible conflict between Iran and Israel now that it has become certain that Iranian elements attacked the MV Helios Ray. The suspicious vehicle-carrier belongs to Israeli businessman Rami Ungar, known for his strong relationship […]

Featured

Biden’s Double Standards: Iranian Civilians under severe US Sanctions but not accused Saudi Murderer Bin Salman

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Biden administration on Friday declassified and released a CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman bears responsibility for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 3, 2018. CBC: “U.S. intelligence report blames Saudi crown prince for murder of […]