U.S.-Turkish Agreement on Syria Remains Challenge

by Joe Macaron US officials appear to be overselling a potential deal with Turkey on establishing a “safe zone” in northeastern Syria, one they hope could peel Ankara away from Moscow. However, this approach might accelerate the confrontation between Turkish… Continue Reading →

UAE Withdraws from Yemen

by James M. Dorsey A United Arab Emirates decision to withdraw the bulk of its forces from Yemen shines a spotlight on hard realities underlying Middle Eastern geopolitics. The pullback suggests that the UAE is preparing for the possibility of… Continue Reading →

Media Falsely Portrays Iran’s Nuclear Deal Breach As Dash To Bomb

by Ben Armbruster The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—the UN nuclear watchdog tasked with vigorously monitoring Iran’s nuclear program under the 2015 accord—confirmed this week that Iran exceeded the limit on its supply of low-enriched uranium (LEU). Unfortunately, with a… Continue Reading →

Al-Qaeda and Iran: The Bond that Does Not Exist

by Nelly Lahoud As the U.S. government continues to escalate its policy towards Iran, it would be sensible to eliminate al-Qaeda’s historical ties to Iran from its list of grievances. President Trump cited these ties when, in May 2018, he… Continue Reading →