April 17, 2026
Iran
Europe Iran Israel MENA News Middle East Opinion Politics

Meloni moves closer to the Sanchez line in search for pro-Palestinian votes

by Giovanni Giacalone On April 14, Yom HaShoah, in an unfortunate coincidence of timing, the Meloni government announced the suspension of the automatic renewal of its defense agreement with Israel, as reported by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of Vinitaly in Verona. The ANSA news agency also reported that Defense Minister Guido […]

Read More
GCC Iran MENA News Middle East Opinion Politics

From the Complexities of Hormuz to the Chokepoint of the Red Sea: The Gulf’s New Lung to Breathe the Breeze of the Arabian Sea

by Mohammed Salem Mujawar An Analysis of Recent Developments in the Yemeni Conflict and Its Options in Light of the Islamabad Negotiations Executive Summary Six weeks after the violent escalation that began with a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran (February 28, 2026), the War of the Corridors is no longer a passing crisis remote from our […]

Read More
Iran MENA News Middle East North America Opinion Politics

Trump’s betrayal of the Iranian people and Qatar’s role in safeguarding the regime

by Giovanni Giacalone The US President Donald Trump is at it again. The first time, he betrayed the Iranian people by inciting them to demonstrate and “take over the institutions”, promising a “help” that never arrived. He first threatened the regime with retaliation if it kept slaughtering demonstrators and then, he backed off, stating that […]

Read More
GCC Iran MENA News Middle East Opinion

When Fear Becomes Strategy: How Iran and Its Proxies Rewrote Deterrence in the Middle East

By Amb. Dr. Mohamed Qubaty For more than a decade, the Middle East has lived under a paradox that is rarely acknowledged explicitly: the more the international community fears escalation, the longer destabilizing actors survive. What was once presented as prudence and restraint has gradually evolved into a strategic pattern of hesitation, in which avoiding […]

Read More
GCC Iran Israel MENA News Middle East Opinion Politics

Trump’s Middle East fiascos to satisfy Qatar

by Giovanni Giacalone The Middle East is in turmoil as the Kurds in the north-east of Syria are being massacred by al-Jolani’s jihadists while prisoners belonging to ISIS are escaping from prisons. In Gaza, Hamas is rebuilding its forces and gathering weapons for a new offensive against Israel. In Lebanon, Hezbollah did not disarm and […]

Read More
GCC Iran Israel MENA News Middle East North America Opinion

The U.S.’s Red Sea Dilemma vs Yemen’s Evasive Peace Settlement

By Amb. Dr. Mohamed Qubaty What is unfolding today across the Middle East is not the calm after Gaza, but the re-emergence of competing security architectures — a tangled web where trade routes and power balances intersect. From the Red Sea to the Levant, the region faces a defining moment: either it drifts into a […]

Read More
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 […]

Read More
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 […]

Read More
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 […]

Read More
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 […]

Read More