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.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Slams Israel for Syria Attack
Iran’s Foreign Ministry slammed Israel for allegedly launching an air strike against Syria, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. “Repeated acts of aggression by the Israeli regime against Syria violate this country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is in breach of international norms,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said. “There is no doubt such attacks are aimed at weakening the legitimate government of Syria… and is against international peace and security.” He also called on the United Nations to make sure such attacks are not repeated.
New Iranian Ambassador Arrives in Damascus after Six-Month Hiatus
Iran’s new ambassador to Syria, Javad Torkabadi, presented his credentials to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Wednesday, the Iranian media reports. He arrived in Damascus on Tuesday and was welcomed by Iranian and Syrian officials, including Syrian Social Affairs Minister Rima al-Qadiri.
Iran Reportedly Offers to Deploy Ground Forces to Syria to Counter Potential U.S.-led Intervention
The latest air strikes on an airport near Damascus purportedly by Israel and increased U.S. military activities on Jordan’s northern border have triggered a concern in Tehran about the possibility of a broader U.S.-led military campaign in Syria.
Iran’s FM Zarif Defends Hostile I.R.G.C. Encounter with U.S. Navy in Persian Gulf
American officials said on Wednesday that a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer fired a warning flare to deter an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) vessel approaching it in the Persian Gulf.
Iran, Russia and Syria Vow to Continue Joint Military Efforts
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Russian and Syrian counterparts, Sergey Shoygu and Fahd Jassem al-Freij, stressed that they will co
Iran’s Defense Minister Calls for New World Order to Counter U.S.-led “Global Fascism”
The Iranian defense minister has called for establishing a new multi-polar world order to tackle international security threats and counter U.S.-led “hegemonic” ambitions in East Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif: Do Not Pay Much Attention to Trump’s Words
The Iranian foreign minister on Wednesday played down latest remarks by President Donald Trump on the possibility of Washington walking away from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Iranian media reported. “I believe they have broken the spirit of the agreement,” Trump had told the Associated Press. “There is a spirit to agreements, and they have broken it.” Asked by the Iranian press on the sidelines of a cabinet session in Tehran about Trump’s statement, Javad Zarif replied: “Do not pay much attention to Trump’s words.”
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Forces Retake Ancient City of al-Hadar in Western Mosul
The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) today liberated the historic city of al-Hadar in western Mosul from the Islamic State, the Iranian media reports. Iraqi security forces cooperated with the P.M.F. in al-Hadar offensive.
Khamenei Asks Presidential Candidates to Pledge Not to Rely on West
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei today called on next month’s presidential candidates to make a pledge not to seek foreign investment to bolster the country’s fragile economy and instead to promote self-sufficiency and domestic production.
Tehran’s New Envoy Calls for Expanding Ties with Baghdad in Meeting with Abadi
Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi, the new Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, met with Iraqi Prime Haider al-Abadi on Monday to discuss ways to further boost bilateral ties between the two countries, the
Pope’s Egypt Visit to Reassure MidEast Christians | Monday Briefing
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Paul Salem, Alex Vatanka, Eran Etzion, and Gerald Feierstein provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the Pope’s upcoming visit to Egypt, Ahmadinejad’s public feud with Ayatollah Khamenei, Israeli efforts to draw Russian support away from Iran, and the appointment of Prince Khalid bin Salman as Saudi Ambassador to the U.S.
Iranian Student in Rare Video Blasts Regime for Repression at Home and Foreign Wars
A rare video circulating on Iranian social media shows a university student strongly denouncing the Iranian regime’s acts of oppression at home as well as costly military engagements abroad at the expense of domestic priorities. “Mr. Hassan Abbasi: Your theory is the theory of terror and horror and exporting arms and war.
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.
