After decades of political setbacks, Iran’s former Revolutionary Guards commander has returned to the center of power. Is he an incidental beneficiary of war, or have observers underestimated him all along?
Gulf states and their partners are increasingly looking beyond their most immediate interests of containing the war with Iran. While recent talks between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran have kept de-escalation on the agenda, a broader regional security framework and non-aggression pact has also emerged, envisioning a longer-lasting solution to regional conflicts. The talks have yet to produce a settlement, but they reflect a growing recognition that Gulf security cannot depend entirely on Washington. Iran will still be there, and its neighbors will have to find ways of living with it.
Recent elections for the Israeli Knesset and American Congress may make less of a difference in the Middle East than some people think. Elections are significant indicators of national political trends, but do not always translate into changes in national security strategies. That is likely the case now in both nations.
As the Iranian government celebrated the 38th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with a lot of fanfare on February 10, Reporters Without Borders (SRF) strongly condemned the regime’s persecution of journalists and systematic crackdown on the f
There has been much speculation in the Iranian media about Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s visit to Germany this week. While Zarif has already met with a number of his counterparts from various countries and international institutions as reported by Fars News, it was the question of whether he might meet with his U.S. counterpart on the sidelines of the Munich security conference that captivated much of the Iranian media’s coverage. Many outlets speculated that a potential meeting between Zarif and U.S.
One of Iran’s top diplomats, Abbas Araghchi, who is a deputy foreign minister and held a senior position as a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, has warned that U.S. President Donald Trump does in fact have the power to “tear apart” the agreement. Araghchi pointed out that the U.S. president has the power to either extend sanctions waivers on Iran, as President Obama did, or refuse to do so.
The Iraqi National Accord Party has accused Iran of violating Iraq’s sovereignty on its territorial waters, the Iraqi media reports.
Fars News Agency (FNA) reports today that Iran-supported Iraqi Shiite militia group Harakat al-Nujaba commemorated the “martyrdom” anniversary of Hezbollah’s former military leader Imad Mughniyeh by firing missiles at Islamic State targets in northern regions of Iraq’s Salahuddin Province. According to FNA, an outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.), the Shiite militia group launched an offensive dubbed “Operations for the Blood of Martyred Commander Imad Mughniyeh” to “liberate” the Islamic State-held region of Jabal Makhul (Makhul Mountains) in Salahuddin.
Mahmoud al-Zahar, one of the top members of the Hamas leadership is reported by the Iranian press to push for the resumption of relations between the Palestinian organization and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.
A number of leaders of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have told Iran’s Fars News Agency (FNA) that their forces will play a leading military role in “liberating” 3,000 square kilometers of Islamic State-held areas in western Mosul.
Prominent Afghan jihadi leader Amir Ismail Khan has warned the Iranian government against providing military and financial assistance to the Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
The Iranian media welcomed the resignation of Michael Flynn as the U.S. national security adviser, but cautioned that Washington would continue to pursue hostile policies against the Islamic Republic.
The rise of Yehya Sinwar to lead the Hamas organization in Gaza has been welcomed by Tehran.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s official trip to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar has prompted anxiety in Tehran. Erdogan arrived in Riyadh on Monday night after a visit to Bahrain, and he is scheduled to go to Qatar next.
Iranian media have been speculating about reasons why Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitryi Rogozin this week canceled his planned trip to Tehran. Rogozin was due to hold talks with top Iranian officials, including Defense Minister Hossein Dehgan.
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.
