by Paul R. Pillar The recent episode in which President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined forces to stop a visit to Israel by two members of the U.S. Congress has many disturbing aspects. The episode represented, of… Continue Reading
by Nicolai Due-Gundersen The year 2014 was a difficult one for the Middle East but an interesting one for Russia. While the Muslim world watched the rise of the Islamic State (IS or ISIS), Russian President Vladimir Putin was reversing… Continue Reading
by Helena Cobban In May, President Donald J. Trump rolled out his policy of “maximum pressure” designed to force Tehran to concede to far-reaching demands. He tightened U.S. sanctions against Iran considerably and ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier… Continue Reading
by Abdulaziz Kilani Authorities in Gibraltar decided on Thursday to release the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya-1, which they was seized last month. The vessel was detained for allegedly breaching European Union sanctions by shipping oil to Syria. Tehran has… Continue Reading
by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey Russia’s 2015 military intervention in Syria marked the beginning of its increasingly dominant power-broker status in the Middle East and North Africa. Russia has often initially adopted a neutral stance in various regional situations, talking with multiple… Continue Reading