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The Middle East

After the “snapback,” large new set of U.S. Iran sanctions announced

Less than two weeks after the reimposition of United Nations  “snapback” sanctions on Iran on September 27, the U.S. Government announced a substantial new...

Solidarity or strategic interest? Qatar’s role in the future of least developed countries

At the recent High-Level Meeting for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), held in Seville on the sidelines of the Fourth International Conference on Financing...

UN sanctions reimposed on Iran after commitments breached

Back on August 28, France, Germany, and the UK (the so-called “E3”) formally initiated the process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran aka "snapback."...

The UN at 80 — Little to celebrate with multilateralism under stress

Like clockwork, at the end of September, many of the world’s leaders converge on New York for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) session...

Washington sanctions Sudanese Islamist actors

On September 12, the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on two Sudanese Islamist actors...

United States sanctions foreign NGOs engaged in ICC’s targeting of Israel

Further increasing tension between the U.S. and the UN ahead of this month’s UN General Assembly, scheduled to begin the UN's 80th anniversary celebrations...

U.S. expands sanctions against malicious actors in Middle East

Waiting for U.S. President Donald Trump’s go-ahead for new sanctions against Russia and its major oil customers, due in early August, Washington’s army of...

United States to again withdraw from UNESCO

On July 22, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced that Washington had informed United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Audrey...

Washington expands sanctions campaign against UN organs denouncing Israel

The U.S. State Department announced on July 9 that it is issuing sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur for the West Bank...

NATO shifts into high gear at 2025 Hague Summit

Many are calling the June 24-25 NATO Summit in the Hague “the Trump Summit,” noting it was “historic” and “transformational.” But most of the...

The Israel-Iran conflict in our perspective

In the Albanian public debate on the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, a prevailing notion has been the contrast between Israel, a democracy...

Alberta G7 Summit – forgotten before it ended?

One song that will never be associated with the June 15-18 Alberta G7 Summit is Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable." While this year’s Canada-hosted G7 Summit...

Washington orders sanctions responding to ICC actions targeting the United States and Israel

On June 5, the United States announced sanctions against four judges currently serving as International Criminal Court (ICC) judges for what it described as...

In search of jobs and treasure: Trump’s first overseas jaunt takes a distinctly commercial angle

U.S. President Donald Trump completed a four-day tour of the Middle East on May 13-16, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates....

Taking off: Qatar’s strategic rise in global aviation

For Qatar, an important development took place recently as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), approved the final phase of its own airspace, the...

U.S.-China tariff struggle, Iran issue affect energy demand, oil prices

International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol said on April 23 oil prices may decline further this year due to slow demand growth...

Ahead of nuclear talks, Trump administration orders new sanctions on Iran’s shadow fleet and Chinese refiners

Washington’s sanctions campaign of “maximum pressure on Iran” is intensifying, despite the start of initial discussions between the U.S. and Iran over nuclear issues...

Ignoring Russia, latest Trump administration Iran sanctions increase pressure on an old enemy

On March 13, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned (“designated” in OFAC language) Iran’s Minister of Petroleum, Mohsen...

Swedish Foxtrot criminal network in Washington’s sanctions crosshairs

The U.S. Treasury is targeting the “Foxtrot Network,” which is one of the most notorious criminal gangs based in Sweden and has conducted shootings,...

The role of Ramadan in combating Islamophobia and promoting unity

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is less about refraining from food or drink and more to do with conducting a deep introspective assessment...

Washington targets Houthi leaders for terrorism, Russia ties and weapons procurement

Under U.S. President Donald Trump, there is no ambivalence in Washington regarding the Houthis. Handling all of the statutory requirements required to press the...

Tashkent’s busy diplomatic agenda

In the coming months, Uzbekistan will host high-profile summits between Central Asia with the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council. As global geopolitics...

The dance begins: Rubio and Lavrov engage (alone) on Ukraine

Clearly working overtime to move the U.S.-Russia peace effort for Ukraine forward, both countries’ foreign ministers met on February 18 in Riyadh for the...

Trump administration unleashes first sanctions on Iranian shadow fleet

On February 6, the Department of the Treasury unleashed the first wave of the new Trump administration’s economic sanctions using the tried-and-true U.S. Government/Treasury...

The New Face of an Old Enemy: The renewed dangers of ISIS and al-Qaeda

A dangerous cocktail of indifference and complacency enabled al-Qaeda to evolve from a shadowy fringe network in the early 1990s into one of the...

Is there any hope for a democratic and peaceful Syria?

Most observers will argue that a democratic and peaceful Syria is just a pipedream, but at least in the first weeks since Bashar-al-Assad’s rushed...

OPEC+ postpones plans to increase production over supply unease

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, known collectively as OPEC+, decided on December 5 to delay its planned...

Biden administration takes final steps to counter global corruption and human rights abuses

Announcing a global grab-bag of new sanctions, possibly some of its last, the Biden administration took major steps on December 9 by authorizing new...

Starvation in Sudan

Aid workers have warned that one of the worst famines in decades could be under way in Sudan, a country in the middle of...

Washington targets Syrian conglomerate funding Iran and Houthis

On November 14 the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 26 companies, individuals, and vessels associated with the...

How French Neocolonialism converges with Iranian terrorism

France raised one billion euros "for the people of Lebanon," with a declared goal “to provide humanitarian aid." French President Emmanuel Macron even made...

EU-GCC to expand cooperation on green energy, minerals, and bringing peace to Ukraine

The EU heads of state and government and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held their first summit on October 16 in Brussels under the...

The complex politics of Caspian gas

For the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, gas has always been a major economic resource and, in most cases, one of the biggest contributors...

U.S. expands sanctions on Iranian petroleum sector, targeting “ghost fleet”

In the aftermath of Iran’s unprecedented October 1 ballistic missile attack against Israel, Washington made it clear that Iran would face consequences for its...

Washington orders new sanctions against Hamas’ sham fundraising network

Going after key elements of the Hamas European fundraising network on the anniversary of the Gaza war, on October 7 the U.S. Treasury Department’s...

Strategic Partnership or Strategic Risk? France’s Deepening Ties with Qatar

It has recently marked the half-year anniversary since France and Qatar announced a strategic partnership that will see the emirate invest €10 billion into...

Development of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions: an integrative future vision

When the issue at hand is as significant as the integration between world religions in terms of shared values and collective thinking, it is...

Supplying Russia and Iran, Armenia emerges as a new sanctions black hole

For the past two years, Armenia has been attempting to demonstrate its shift towards the West, all the while maintaining its geopolitical role as...

UNGA 2024 overshadowed by Middle East turmoil

At the end of September, as usual, most of the world’s leaders converge on New York for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) session...

G7 Foreign Ministers condemn Tehran’s export and Russia’s procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles

The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized powers condemned on September 14 "in the strongest terms" Iran's sales and Russia's purchases...

The European Legion’s Activities in Libya

NATO seems to be seeking to intervene in Libya’s internal affairs and impose its control over the Libyan people’s oil and gas capabilities using...

UN forced to admit Hamas operatives infiltrated UNRWA staff

The United Nations acknowledged on August 5 that nine staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNWRA) may...

Time for Mandatory Climate Change Disclosures by GCC States?

From wildfires in New Mexico, to droughts in Vietnam, and extreme temperatures and historic flooding in China, it is clear that urgent action must...

U.S. Targets ISIS Facilitation Network across Africa

On July 23, the U.S. Government announced new sanctions against a network of three individuals associated with the expanded activities of the Islamic State...

Jeffrey Sachs: three times a traitor

An economist with an international reputation, Professor Jeffrey Sachs has increasingly raised his profile in the world media. A U.S. citizen, he accuses his...

Tackling new threats to critical energy infrastructure

The explosions that targeted the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia to Germany in September 2022 and the suspected sabotage of Baltic-connector pipeline, which supplies...

New U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues named

Although currently traveling in China, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a reshuffling of the position of Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian...

New sanctions ordered following Iran’s April 13 missile and drone attacks against Israel

Following Iran’s massive, but ineffective, missile and drone strikes against Israel April 13, the United States and the United Kingdom announced their new sanctions...

Wider Middle East regional conflict must be avoided

In a moment of growing tensions in the Middle East, NE Global sat down for an interview about the Iran-Israel crisis with Giuseppe Manna,...

U.S. zeroes in on Houthi revenue sources

The U.S. Government made several announcements this month regarding new sanctions on Houthi revenue sources, building on steps taken in coordination with the U.K....

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