Iraq
Afghanistan
In US foreign policy, realists are finally on the rise
During the autumn of 2020, the United States lost one of its most brilliant, incisive, yet unheralded thinkers in Sherle R. Schwenninger.One of Schwenninger’s...
Afghanistan
Why the fall of Afghanistan sllows Iran to expand its influence
Since 2020, the United States has been working to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. The Americans' announcement emboldened the Taliban, who recently took control...
Afghanistan
With the AUKUS pact, the US has opted to snub some of its European partners
In the nearly nine months since he took office, it has become apparent that the US and European Union will not immediately experience a...
Afghanistan
On 9/11, it’s time for a reckoning and reflection of decades of failed US national security policy
A reckoning with America’s failed national security policy is long overdue.Our calamitous misadventures in the Middle East and the global financial collapse of 2008...
Archive
TotalEnergies inks major energy deals in Iraq
TotalEnergies, the Iraqi Ministries for oil and electricity, and the country's National Investment Commission have signed, in the presence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa...
Afghanistan
What next after 20 years of war in Afghanistan? Anatol Lieven on the U.S.’ legacy and the Taliban’s rise
On August 30, 2021, a C-17 transport plane took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, signaling the end of America’s longest war....
Afghanistan
Europe willingly forfeited a leadership role in Afghanistan
If Winston Churchill were alive today, I imagine he might have said something like “Never in the history of human conflict have so few...
Afghanistan
France has a generals problem: Why there’s a fray in civilian-military relations
The sensitive question of civilian control of the armed forces is one which Western democracies like the United States and France must continue to...
Afghanistan
Making sense of the Italy-UAE rift
Earlier this month the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered the withdrawal of all Italian aircraft and personnel from its Al Minhad Air Force Base...
Afghanistan
When the “New Middle East” meets the “New Europe”
Middle Eastern experts have commented widely on the “new” foreign policy of the United Arab Emirates. Many of these same commentators have gone so...
Afghanistan
From Vienna to Tripoli, the Muslim Brotherhood’s impact is felt on both sides of the Mediterranean
Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has recently undertaken a number of legislative initiatives that target Islamist groups and movements, which are active within the country,...
Afghanistan
A broken migration system
Turkey and Greece are both transit countries for migrants on their way to Germany and wealthy destinations in northern Europe. Migrants are resilient. Many...
Analysis
Iran’s election is about succession
Change will not come after Iran’s next presidential election on June 18. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will remain the supreme decision-maker both before...
Afghanistan
Turkey: A state sponsor of terrorism?
Turkey functions like a state-sponsor of terrorism (SST), fueling Islamist extremism domestically and deploying jihadist mercenaries to Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Listing Turkey as...
Archive
Is Turkey undermining the Washington Agreement?
In a deal brokered during the closing months of the presidency of Donald Trump, Kosovo and Israel agreed to establish diplomatic relations as part...
Archive
Pope Francis condemns Myanmar junta ahead of landmark visit to Iraq
Pope Francis on Wednesday reiterated his call on Myanmar's military junta to release all political prisoners and allow the country to continue its journey...
Archive
In time of pandemic, OPEC+ stands pat, sees oil rebound this year
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, a group known as OPEC+, reportedly maintained its oil output policy at...
Afghanistan
UK court blocks WikiLeaks founder Assange’s extradition to US
WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US to face espionage charges due to concerns over his mental health and risk of...
Archive
Crude oil price rally may face supply side pressure in early 2021
Oil traders are optimistic the start of the deployment of vaccines means that an end to the worst economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic...
Archive
OPEC+ likely to extend oil cuts seeing slow fuel demand recovery from vaccines
Oil prices climbed to their highest in more than eight months on November 25 fuelled by continuing hopes that energy demand will recover once...
Archive
Russia, Saudi Arabia eye COVID-19 oil cut to hike prices
Russia and OPEC-kingpin Saudi Arabia are reportedly mulling to delay an increase in oil production in January, maintaining an output cut aimed to raise...
Archive
Too much supply, too little demand, OPEC+ wants production cuts
Fearing slow oil demand recovery, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, during a meeting on...
Archive
Oil reflux: OPEC+ pumps up volume after COVID-19 cutback
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its oil producing allies led by Russia, a group known as OPEC+, reportedly agreed on...
Archive
US deploys Patriot missiles to Iraq, angering Iran
Iran warned the United States it is leading the Middle East to disaster amid the coronavirus pandemic, after reports that Patriot air defence missiles...
Asia & Pacific
Locked down, without answers
Most European governments are turning to increasingly harsh lockdowns to confront the coronavirus pandemic. They did so in the wake of watching Italy’s attempt...
Archive
France pulls out military forces in Iraq
France announced on Wednesday that it is pulling out its military forces from Iraq to help fight the coronavirus at home.
The chief of staff...
Archive
US places ISIS head al-Mawli on terror list
The United States on Tuesday put the new leader of the Islamic State group, Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli, on its terror list.
The United...
Archive
Iraq names new US-backed PM as rockets hit base hosting foreign troops
Iraq's president Barham Salih has appointed on Tuesday Adnan Zurfi, a pro-Western lawmaker and former governor of the holy Shia city of Najaf, as...
Archive
US launches airstrikes against Iran-backed militias after deadly attacks
The United States launched a series of air strikes on Thursday against an Iran-backed Shia militia in Iraq that it blamed for a major...
Archive
Iraq's PM-designate Allawi withdraws from race
Mohammed Allawi, the designated candidate to be Iraq's new prime minister, has announced his withdrawal, hours after parliament adjourned a session to approve his...
Archive
NATO to expand training mission in Iraq
NATO agreed to expand the Western alliance’s training mission in Iraq. The move comes amid United States' calls do more in the Middle East.
Last...
Archive
Coronavirus hits oil too, worries plunge prices
Oil prices fell more than 2% on 3 February, as traders were concerned over demand in China following the deadly coronavirus breakout but prices...
Archive
Leaked recording shows Iran knew it shot down Ukrainian plane
Iran’s government knew their military had shot down a passenger jet and lied about it for days, Ukraine said Sunday.
A leaked audio recording surfaced...
Archive
Iraqi protesters reject new PM-designate
After two months of political stalemate, Iraqi former communications minister Mohammed Allawi was named prime minister-designate by the country’s president Barham Salih. Allawi, 66,...
Archive
US embassy in Iraq hit by rocket attack
At least one person was injured when the United States’ embassy in Iraq’s capital, Bagdhad, was hit by three rockets on Sunday. There was...
Archive
IEA: Global oil supply tumbles in December
Global oil supply tumbled 780,000 barrels per day in December as biofuels production declined seasonally and Saudi Arabia reduced output, the International Energy Agency...
Archive
US military says 11 troops were injured in Iranian strike
The United States' Central Command said that 11 American soldiers were injured last week when Iran fired dozens of missiles on two bases in...
Archive
EU vows to try to save nuke deal as Iran steps away after Soleimani killing
The European Union said it will "spare no efforts” to keep the 2015 nuclear deal preventing Iran from developing atomic weapons.
The head of the...
Archive
Trump says Iran is ‘standing down’ after strike
Speaking from the White House, US President Donald Trump has said Iran "appears to be standing down" after it fired missiles at air bases...
Iran
Kazakhstan airlines divert flights over Iran and Iraq airspace
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan - Two Kazakh airlines, Air Astana and SCAT, decided to change routes in connection with the situation in Iran, the press services...
Archive
Iran attacks bases in Iraq housing US troops
Iran has launched more than a dozen missiles at multiple Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops, Pentagon officials confirmed.
The move is seen as...
Archive
Chevron pulls staff from northern Iraq over security concerns
Following the killing of Iranian Quds Force leader , US oil giant Chevron said on 6 January the company removed its expatriate staff operating...
Archive
Oil price jump: an inevitable knee-jerk reaction to the killing of Soleimani
Oil prices spiked on 3 January on news that Qassem Suleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force and architect of its growing military influence...
Afghanistan
Iran’s top commander Soleimani killed in US drone strike
Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force and the mastermind behind the Islamic Republic’s military and foreign policy in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon,...
Archive
Slower global economic growth can lead to lower oil and gas prices in 2019
Oil prices are unlikely to rise significantly this year because of fears of an oil supply glut caused by over production and reduced oil...
Archive
Putin voices support for OPEC, sees no need to cut production
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly said on November 15 that Moscow is committed to continuing its cooperation with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries...
Archive
Saudi Arabia, Russia may extend OPEC, non-OPEC oil output deal
Plans of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other supplies, especially Russia, to possibly continue curbing oil production for the rest...
Archive
Saudi Arabia, Putin’s Russia lead OPEC oil output cut extension deal through end of 2018
In an effort to boost oil prices, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC members, including Russia, reached an agreement on November...
Archive
Iraqi-Kurdish battles send oil prices gushing, retreating
Oil prices surged from October 13 through October 18 as fighting between Iraqi and Kurdish forces intensified, threatening supplies from northern Iraq, while markets...
Archive
ISIL’s cross-border oil smuggling days are over
BRATISLAVA – ISIL’s ability to smuggle oil across the Iraqi border and finance its jihadist activities from oil revenue has almost stopped, a German...
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