Iran

Ofek 19, the New Israeli Spy Satellite

Israel announced on Wednesday that it had launched a new spy satellite into orbit, called Ofek 19. According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, “This is also a message to all our enemies, wherever they may be: we are watching you constantly and under all circumstances.” For his part, Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared that “Israel ...

U.S. Sanctions Network Smuggling Iranian Oil as Iraqi Oil

The United States Department of Treasury announced on Tuesday new sanctions aimed at cutting off revenue to Iran for its destabilizing activities in Iraq, the Middle East, and beyond. “The sanctions target a network of companies and vessels led by Waleed al-Samarra’i, an Iraqi and Saint Kitts and Nevis dual citizen, accused of smuggling ...

Xi Tells Iran President China Opposes 'Use of Force... to Resolve Differences'

President Xi Jinping told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday that China supported Iran's right to civilian nuclear energy and opposed the use of force to resolve differences, state media reported. "The use of force is not the right way to resolve differences. Communication and dialogue are the right path to achieving lasting ...

Lebanon, UNIFIL, and the Return of Sovereignty and Peace

There was a real possibility earlier this summer that the United States was going to veto the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate in August. Ultimately, a wiser course prevailed, when the UN Security Council extended UNIFIL's mandate "for a final time" last week until the end of 2026.  This step is a positive one for everyone concerned except ...

Seeking Regional Leaders with Sadat’s Vision

Clothes do not make the man – a saying that fits today’s leaders of Iran’s radical factions, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Tehran’s proxies in Iraq and Yemen. They issue routine inflammatory statements and adopt media stances that are often exaggerated, sometimes bordering on the absurd. In response to the upheavals sweeping the region, they ...

Putin and Modi in China for Summit Hosted by Xi

President Xi Jinping gathered the leaders of Russia and India, among dignitaries from around 20 Eurasian countries, on Sunday to kick off a showpiece summit aimed at putting China at the front and center of regional relations. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit is being held in the northern port city of Tianjin until Monday, days before ...

Hezbollah: The Voice of Its Master

Hezbollah and its weapons, a never-ending tale. Same story, on repeat. Giving up the arsenal? Never. Without it, there is no arbitrary power, no rent to collect. And like any loyal client, Hezbollah clings to its dealer: Iran. Each time an Iranian leader takes the stage or embarks on a “diplomatic” tour, the pattern is predictable. Days ...

Iran Says Return of IAEA Inspectors Not Full Resumption of Cooperation

Iran said Wednesday that the return of UN nuclear inspectors did not represent a full resumption of cooperation, which was suspended in the aftermath of June attacks by Israel and the United States. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency began work at the key nuclear site of Bushehr in southwestern Iran, the nuclear watchdog's ...

Salam Arrives in Cairo

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam arrived in Cairo on Tuesday at the head of a Lebanese delegation for an official visit to Egypt. According to information obtained by al-Markazia news agency, the visit will focus on launching the Lebanese-Egyptian Business Council and on holding talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on regional and bilateral ...

Quds Force Rejects Hezbollah Disarmament Plan

Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi, Deputy Coordinator of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, strongly condemned the plan to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon, describing it as an “American-Zionist plan.” In an interview with Defapress on Monday, Masjedi stated, “Certainly, neither the people of Lebanon nor the Resistance ...

Diplomacy and Totalitarianism

Observing international life today conveys puzzling images and ambivalent feelings about its complexion. We have a difficult time categorizing events, making sense of political evolutions, and dealing with them. The collapse of the conventional political taxonomy with its binaries and ideological lenses invites us to rethink our intellectual ...