October 19, 2025
Iran
Iran Israel Middle East Opinion Politics

Gaza to the Arabian Sea: The Straits and the Balance of Power

By Amb. M. A. Qubaty A Defining Regional Moment The arc stretching from Gaza to the Red Sea, from Lebanon to Yemen and across to the Arabian Sea, is entering a perilous new phase. The region is no longer defined by Gaza alone, but by a wider confrontation pitting Israel against Iran and its regional […]

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Caucasus Eurasia Iran Opinion Russia South Caucasus

Russo-Iranian Coordination in the Caspian is Growing

by Turan Rzayev Starting from July 21, Iran and Russia are set to conduct a joint maritime search and rescue drill (CASAREX 2025) in the Caspian Sea under the slogan “Together for a Safe and Secure Caspian Sea.” The exercise will involve the Iranian Army and IRGC Naval Forces, the Iranian Police Command, the Russian […]

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Caucasus Eurasia Iran Israel MENA News Middle East Opinion South Caucasus

Iran’s Strategic Anxiety: Why Azerbaijan’s Expanding Role Worries Tehran

by Rustam Taghizade As the geopolitical tectonics of the Middle East shift, a new diplomatic player is quietly emerging: Azerbaijan. In recent weeks, Baku has hosted a surprising series of diplomatic moves — from signing an energy cooperation memorandum with Syria’s transitional government, to reportedly facilitating behind-the-scenes talks between Syrian and Israeli officials. These developments […]

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Europe Iran Israel MENA News Middle East North America Opinion Politics Russia Ukraine

Trump’s obsession with “deal-making” and the Peace Prize is causing more turmoil.

by Giovanni Giacalone US President Donald Trump’s obsession with winning the Nobel Peace Prize has become a paradox, as his efforts to achieve it are creating more turmoil, thereby putting at risk the path to peace in both Ukraine and the Middle East. Trump appears so desperate for the Nobel Prize that he attempts to […]

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Caucasus Eurasia Iran MENA News Middle East Opinion Politics Russia South Caucasus

The Yekaterinburg Incident and New Tensions in Russian-Azerbaijani Relations: Shifting the Geopolitical Balance of Power

By Rustam Taghizade The recent tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan are not only a diplomatic crisis between the two countries, but also an important turning point that could lead to a shift in the broader geopolitical balance in the region. The violence and casualties recorded during the special operation against Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg are perceived […]

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Iran Israel MENA News North America Opinion Politics

Examining the Impact and Implications of the Bandar Abbas Explosion

by Turan Rzayev As is known, on April 26, an explosion occurred in the Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, located in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran. According to the information provided by the “Tasnim” agency, the explosion was caused by the detonation of a fuel storage tank. It was reported that the blast […]

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Europe GCC Iran MENA News Middle East North America Opinion Politics Russia

Expectations of the US-Iran Talks: Round 2 in Rome

by Rustam Taghizade   The initial outcome of the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States on Saturday cannot be considered a complete success. It is hypothesised that in this particular instance, Iran is seeking to prolong the negotiation phase. The present article will analyse questions of the following nature: firstly, what is the […]

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Iran Israel Middle East North America Politics

The protests of Azerbaijani Turks in Urmia: The Underlying Causes and Associated Processes

by Rustam Taghizade. 1. The context of ethnic tensions in Iran: Iran is a multinational state, where Persians constitute approximately 60% of the population, alongside significant minority groups, including Azerbaijani Turks (16-24%), Kurds (7-10%), Baloch, Arabs and others. These ethnic minorities have historically faced systematic discrimination, including restrictions on cultural and linguistic rights, economic marginalization […]

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Europe Iran Israel MENA News Middle East News Politics

The Italy/Islamists files. File 4: Mohammad Hannoun and the Hamas money-collecting network

By Giovanni Giacalone On October 7th, 2024, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three individuals and one sham charity that are prominent international financial supporters of Hamas, as well as one Hamas-controlled financial institution in Gaza. Among the sanctioned individuals is Hannoun, who has been indicated by Washington […]

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Europe Iran MENA News Middle East Opinion Politics

The Italy/Islamists files: File 2. The Sala/Abedini exchange and the relations between Italy and the Iranian regime – December 2024/January 2025

by Giovanni Giacalone Mohamad Abedini Najafabadi’s arrest On December 16th 2024, Iranian citizen Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi was arrested by the Italian authorities on US request after landing at Milan’s Malpensa airport. As indicated in the press release of the DOJ, Abedini and his colleague Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi (who was arrested in Massachusetts) have been charged […]

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