Iran-Supported Militia Groups Intensify anti-U.S. Propaganda in Iraq
With the Islamic State on the verge of losing Mosul, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) and its Iraqi militia proxies have recently launched a vicious propaganda campaign against the U.S. and its regional allies – posing security risks to U.S. military advisers that are helping the Iraqi security forces in the country.
China-Turkey Relations Grow Despite Differences over Uighurs
Since the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, Turkey has been looking east for new partners to decrease Ankara’s dependence on traditional Western allies. The election of Donald Trump has contributed to the further estrangement of Turkey’s relationship with its traditional NATO allies, leaving Ankara less comfortable remaining so reliant on Washington for regional security matters.
Worries in Tehran as Riyadh and Washington Seek to Improve Ties
While Saudi Arabia hailed the Tuesday meeting between President Donald Trump and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as a “historical turning point” in U.S.-Saudi relations, the Iranian press ex
The Israeli prime minister’s visit to Moscow last week offered Israel and Russia an opportunity to ‘synchronize watches’ as a new phase in the Syrian war unfolds.
The visit was short and business-like. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Tel Aviv in the morning and was back in Jerusalem that same evening. But his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, their fourth since the Russian intervention in September 2015, was long enough to reaffirm the principles that have enabled both Russia and Israel to protect their core interests in Syria.
An Indian Diplomatic Initiative to Promote West Asian Security
This essay explores the rationale, modalities and prospects for a constructive diplomatic by China and India — two rising powers, both with significant equities in the region and no historical baggage — to help break this cycle.
U.N. Investigator: Iran’s Human Rights Situation Hasn’t Improved under Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has not fulfilled his pledge to improve the country’s human rights situation and guarantee Iranians’ civil liberties, says Asma Jahangir, the U.N. special rapporteur for Iran. In an exclusive interview with the BBC Persian on Monday, the U.N.
Iranian Lawmaker: Washington’s “Safe Zone” Plan Won’t Change Balance of Power in Syria
A senior Iranian lawmaker says the Trump administration and its allies will not be able to establish safe zones in Syria, and that the deployment of American troops to Syria will also not change the trajectory of war in the Arab country, the Iranian Parliament’s official website reports.
I.R.G.C.-Linked Media Delegation Visits Beirut to Discuss Regional Issues with Hezbollah Leaders
A senior delegation of Iran’s Tasnim News Agency has held meetings with a number of high-ranking officials of the Lebanese Hezbollah in Beirut, the Iranian media reports.
Diplomatic Feud Between Turkey and E.U. Grows | Monday Briefing
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts W. Robert Pearson, Gerald Feierstein, Yousef Munayyer, and Alex Vatanka provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the simmering diplomatic feud between Turkey and the Netherlands, the Chinese offer to act as a mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the congressional debate whether to supply aid to the Palestinian Authority, and the growing French business footprint in Iran.
