Donald Trump Offers a Helping Hand to China and Russia

 by Dilip Hiro In his State of the Union address, Donald Trump warned grimly of “rivals like China and Russia that challenge our interests, our economy, and our values.”  In response, he demanded that Congress give even more money to “our great military”… Continue Reading

Taking War Off Its Pedestal

by William Astore Whether the rationale is the need to wage a war on terror involving 76 countries or renewed preparations for a struggle against peer competitors Russia and China (as Defense Secretary James Mattis suggested recently while introducing America’s new National Defense Strategy), the… Continue Reading

Keeping Iran’s Ballistic Missiles in Perspective

by Greg Thielmann The Trump administration’s 120-day “stay of execution” for the Iran nuclear deal has temporarily sidelined arguments over the absence of constraints on ballistic missiles as one of the agreement’s principal flaws. But if this “flaw” is not… Continue Reading

Iran’s Protests: All About the Economy?

by Gareth Smyth In 2007, when the Iranian government introduced gasoline rationing, increasing the price to 11 cents a liter, some angry motorists torched gasoline stations. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that it showed “economic sanctions are working increasingly… Continue Reading

Kazakhstan: Is New Military Doctrine Response to Russia or the West?

by Almaz Kumenov  In late September, Kazakhstan adopted its fifth military doctrine. The document outlines a shift in strategic thinking that seems, at least in part, designed to respond to potential threats emanating from Kazakhstan’s neighbor and ally, Russia —… Continue Reading