Ever since the announcement of America’s new Afghan-Pakistan strategy, the Trump administration has not been willing to let Pakistan off the hook. The manner in which President Donald Trump has confronted Pakistan on its double dealing on terrorism and called for a larger Indian role in Afghanistan has brought about an irreversible shift in U.S.-Pakistan relations.
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.
Heads of Government Branches Discuss Ways to Counteract U.S. Sanctions
The heads of Iran’s executive, legislative and judicial branches met today to discuss how Iran should respond to the Trump administration’s aggressive policy vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic. In the meeting, President Hassan Rouhani, Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani and Judicary Chief Sadegh Larijani focused on the latest U.S. sanctions and their impact on the country’s economy. Rouhani said the United States is “plotting” to undermine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement Iran signed with world powers in July 2015.
P.M.F. Spokesman: We’ll Hold U.S. Responsible for Calling Muhandis “Terrorist”
Leaders of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) rushed to defend Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the paramilitary forces’ chief operational commander, after U.S. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert called Muhandis a “terrorist” at a press briefing on Thursday. “These remarks indicate a direct threat to Muhandis’ life and we hold America responsible for any attempt or harm to the life of the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Forces,” P.M.F.
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Forces Advancing to Capture al-Qaim Near Syrian Border
The chief operational commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) issued a statement yesterday outlining plans for the paramilitary forces and Iraqi troops to liberate the towns of Rawa and al-Qaim on the Euphrates River in western al-Anbar Province near the border with Syria. “We seek to lock down the entire Iraqi-Syrian border from north to south,” the statement said. In an interview with the Lebanese al-Mayadeen news outlet earlier today, P.M.F.
Top Clerics Back Khamenei in Rejecting Missile Talks with West
Senior Iranian clerics on Friday backed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s earlier remarks that Iran’s defense capabilities, including its controversial missile program, are non-negotiable. During their Friday prayer sermons, the clerics emphasized that the Islamic Republic will defy international pressure and continue to further enhance its military assets. They also encouraged worshippers to participate in the upcoming National Day against Global Arrogance to condemn the Trump administration’s anti-Iran policies.
I.R.G.C. Claims It Dismantled “Terrorist Team” in Northwest Iran
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) announced on Thursday that its forces “dismantled a terrorist team” in Chaldaran region of northwestern Azerbaijan Province. According to a statement released by the public relations department of I.R.G.C.’s Hamze Sayyid al-Shohada Base, four “terrorists’ were killed in armed clashes between I.R.G.C. forces and the militants.
In their new report for the Atlantic Council, “U.S. Strategy Options for Iran’s Regional Challenge,” and an essay version published in the Washington Quarterly, Bilal Saab and Kenneth M. Pollack lay out a “pushback” strategy to weaken Iran’s regional influence. The co-authors join host Paul Salem to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of this and other strategies in this week’s podcast.
