Trump’s Sanctions Will Hurt Iran, But How Much?

by Derek Davison Even after Donald Trump decided to violate the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) by reimposing U.S. sanctions against Iran, he had a range of options. He could, for example, have started small… Continue Reading

Out of Iran Deal, into War? Either Way, Netanyahu’s Popularity Soars

by Dahlia Scheindlin On Wednesday night, the day after Trump announced his withdrawal from the Iran deal, in between Israeli airstrikes in Syria, Israel’s Channel 2 News reported the Likud’s highest polling numbers in a decade — 35 seats, five more than it… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia Versus Iran on the Football Pitch

by James M. Dorsey Saudi Arabia’s bitter rivalry with Iran has spilled onto Asian soccer pitches with the newly created South West Asian Football Federation (SWAFF) reflecting the kingdom’s bid for regional hegemony, including domination of soccer. Saudi Arabia’s most recent victory… Continue Reading

How the Saudis Took Donald Trump for a Ride

by Ben Freeman and William D. Hartung It’s another Trump affair — this time without the allegations of sexual harassment (and worse), the charges and counter-charges, the lawsuits, and all the rest. So it hasn’t gotten the sort of headlines… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia’s Desperate Alliance Moves

by Javad Heiran-Nia The establishment of security pacts and alliances among countries demands high levels of cooperation from its member to deal effectively with different threats. Saudi Arabia and Egypt, for instance, have called for an “Arab NATO” to “wipe terrorism… Continue Reading