Jordan’s Economy Weathers Iran War’s Shocks and Finds New Opportunities
In the summer of 2003, King Abdullah II told Bloomberg Jordan sits “between Iraq and a hard place,” a play on words designed to describe the kingdom’s challenging environment to an American audience amid the US-led Iraq war to the east and the lingering Palestinian-Israeli conflict to the west. Jordan is grappling with a much “harder place” today.
Proponents of the war with Iran have taken recent increases in crude-oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz as proof that the US strategy is finally working. President Trump is so confident in this that he recently rejected a seven-day plan, set forward by Iran’s foreign ministry, to end the war and open the strait. The United States is “winning tremendously,” Trump boasted.
The Mecca Alliance Meets the Red Sea – Saudi Arabia’s New Defense Pact Faces Its First Major Test
When Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed to a mutual defense pact in August, it was principally seen as a political commitment. The “Mecca alliance,” as it was dubbed, stipulated that an armed attack on one would be treated as an attack on all three, accompanied by deeper military cooperation.
Tehran Worried King Salman’s Asia Tour Aimed at Isolating Iran
The Iranian media speculates that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman’s month-long tour of Asia-Pacific region is aimed at expanding Riyadh’s “anti-Iran” coalition to pressure and isolate Tehran.
Pakistani Shiite Militias Fighting in Syria Say Quds Force Keep Their Passports
Iran’s Qom News reported on Friday that Sayed Abbas Mousavi, a commander of the Zainabyoun Brigade, was kidnapped in the Iranian holy city of Qom (the site has now deleted the report).
I.R.G.C. Agents Detain Iranian Christian Converts without Charge or Trial
Plainclothes agents of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) have arrested two Christian converts and transferred them to an unknown location, Mohabat News reported. The Iranian outlet, which reports on the situation of Iran’s Christian minority, added that I.R.G.C.
Iran Harasses U.S. Navy, Launches More Ballistic Missiles Defying Washington's Warnings
Iran test-fired two ballistic missiles and sent fast-attack boats close to a U.S. Navy ship in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News today. The officials added that one of Iran’s ballistic missile tests was successful and it destroyed a target more than 150 miles away. According to the report, the launches of the Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missiles were the first tests of the missile in two years.
Saudi Arabia-Led Coalition Kills I.R.G.C. Missile Officer in Yemen
On February 27, a Saudi coalition aircraft killed a senior Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) officer, known only by the nom de guerre “The Afghan,” in Yemen’s northwestern region of Sa’ada, which borders the Kingdom.
Bahrain Says Arrested 25 Members of Iran-Linked “Terror Cell”
Authorities in Bahrain said over the weekend that they had arrested 25 members of an Iran-backed “terror cell” involved in recent attacks on the Bahraini security forces, including a deadly jail break in January.
Maldives Rejects Tehran’s Media Project Offer because of Iranian “Meddling” in Regional Countries
The ambassador of Maldives to Saudi Arabia has said that his government refused an Iranian offer to launch a radio station in the South Asian island country.
U.A.E. Top Diplomat in U.S. Calls for Collective Action to Counter Iran’s Destabilizing Role in Middle East
Yousef al-Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States, said on Thursday that Iran’s “hostile behavior” in the Middle East “is growing worse” despite the nuclear deal Tehran signed with world power
Senior Iranian Official Threatens to Annihilate Israeli Cities within Minutes If Attacked
A senior adviser to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.)’s secretive Quds Force has warned that Iran will annihilate the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if Israel shows any aggression. “When Supreme Leader [Ali Khamenei] says we will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust within seven minutes if needed, it is no joke.
Sweden-Based Researcher on Hunger Strike in Iran Protesting Illegal Detention
Ahmadreza Jalali, a Sweden-based Iranian researcher detained in Iran since April 2016, is on a hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin Prison protesting his denial of access to due process and detention without charge, the Inte
New Report Warns Iran Will Acquire Advanced Weaponry after U.N. Ban Is Lifted
A new report by the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence says Iran will be able to purchase warships, submarines and advanced missiles to further boost its naval power after 2020, when the U.N.
U.N. Warns Iran’s Water Crisis Will Become Dangerous if Left Unchecked
A senior U.N. official has warned that Iran’s water crisis, if left unchecked, will become dangerous for the country in the next two decades, the BBC Persian reports.
Senior Iranian Politician Glorifies Afghan Shiite Militiamen Fighting in Syria
Ezzatollah Zarghami, the former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, has emphasized the significance of Afghan Shiite militias for the Iranian military intervention in Syria.
Iran’s Intelligence Ministry Detains Iranian-Kurdish Woman for Peaceful Activism
Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has kept Iranian-Kurdish civil rights activist Farzaneh Jalali in one of its detention centers in the city of Kermanshah since she was arrested without a warrant on February 23, the International Campaign on Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) reports.
The oldest peer-reviewed publication dedicated to the study of the modern Middle East, MEI’s flagship journal covers politics, society, and culture in the region.
