A Strategic Conundrum: Pakistan’s Transit Corridor to Iran as Lifeline or Liability
The US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz — disruptive to global trade and energy flows, and devastating for debt-burdened economies — has handed Pakistan an unexpected geoeconomic opportunity, one that may persist even if the framework agreement announced on June 14 results in a lasting peace and permanent reopening of the strait. But seizing it will have interlocking consequences for Islamabad’s ties with Tehran, Washington, and the Gulf states.
Iran: What’s Next for US Policy as the Region Seeks to Move On
As the US and Iran move to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the war’s real lesson lies in how Gulf states rapidly adapted — building pipelines, ports, and rail to bypass the chokepoint. Washington should seize this momentum, pursuing a “long game” of regional connectivity that serves shared security and economic interests.
Hardliners Accuse Europe of "Betraying" Iran on Nuclear Deal
A prominent Iranian cleric today warned the Rouhani government against trusting European powers to renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal Tehran signed with world powers in 2015. “The Europeans are currently betraying [us] and defending the Americans.
Militants Kill Eight Iranian Border Guards near Turkish Border
The Iranian media reports that at least eight Iranian border guards were killed in clashes with an armed group today in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan. Alireza Radfar, the deputy governor-general of West Azerbaijan, said the “terrorists” also sustained heavy casualties. He added that security forces are conducting a search operation in the area for other members of the group.
Khamenei: U.S. Is Iran’s “No. 1 Enemy” That Need to Confronted
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said today that the United States is Iran’s “number one enemy” and lashed out at President Donald Trump for calling his country a “terrorist nation.” He also stressed that Tehran will defy U.S. pressure and not give more concessions to Washington.
Iranian-Backed Militias Trying to Link up along Iraqi-Syrian Border
A leader of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) announced today that the paramilitary forces will participate in the military operation to capture the town of al-Qaim in western Anbar Province near the Syrian border. He added that Islamic State fighters are fleeing into Syria. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the P.M.F. and Iraqi security forces are 13 kilometers away from the center of al-Qaim.
I.R.G.C. Outlet: Release of C.I.A.’s Al Qaeda Files New Plot against Iran
The C.I.A.’s latest release of documents seized during the 2011 Osama bin Laden raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to “conspire” against the Islamic Republic, warned Fars News Agency, an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.). “The newly published Abbottabad documents practically have nothing new but claims that have already been made.
Khamenei: It’s “Sacred” Duty of All Muslims to Fight Israel
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said it is a “sacred” and “collective” duty of all Muslims to fight against Israel. In a message to the 2nd International conference of Resistance Scholars held in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, the supreme leader stressed that Muslims should “diversify” their struggle against the Jewish state.
Iran Seeks to Deepen Its Ties with Russia to “Isolate” America
In the latest sign of warming relations between Iran and Russia, President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tehran today to participate in a trilateral summit with Iran and Azerbaijan on regional cooperation and held meetings with Iran’s leadership to discuss ways of boosting bilateral ties between Moscow and Tehran.
I.R.G.C.: No Need to Boost Our Missile Range as They Reach Most U.S. Bases in Mideast
Iran does not need to increase the range of its ballistic missiles beyond 2,000 kilometers at present because American military bases and interests lie within this radius, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) said on Tuesday.
Iran Will Reopen All Border Crossings with Iraqi Kurdistan Region
The chief of staff of Iranian Armed Forces said on Monday that the country will reopen all its border crossings with the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Iranian media reported.
Akram al-Kaabi, the leader of Iranian-sponsored Iraqi militia group Harakat al-Nujaba, visited prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Sheikh Afif al-Nabulsi to discuss regional affairs, Iranian and
Kayhan Warns: “The Mother of All Sanctions Has Arrived”
A front-page article in Kayhan newspaper, entitled “The Mother of All Sanctions Has Arrived,” warns that the implementation of the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” – a congressional bill that
Barzani Stands Down as K.R.G. President | Monday Briefing
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Randa Slim, Yousef Munayyer, Charles Lister, Charles Schmitz, and Alex Vatanka provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including President Barzani’s decision to step down from the KRG, the Trump administation’s silent response to Israeli settlement expansion in Jerusalem , the Armed Syrian Opposition’s attendance of the seventh round of Astana Talks, Saudi foreign minister blaming Iran for lack of progress in peace talks in Yemen, and President Rouhani’s failure to advance the reform cause in Iran.
Iran Rules out Inspection of Its Military Sites in Defiance of U.S.
Defying U.S. pressure, Iranian leaders said on Monday that they would not allow international inspectors to visit the country’s military sites. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with visiting chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano in Tehran, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, claimed that there are no provisions within the 2015 nuclear agreement or in the Additional Protocol that would obligate Tehran to permit foreign inspection of its military installations.
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.
