The Bear, The Dragon, and The Persian Cat

by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj  “Today, Russia and China effectively shelter Iran from complete isolation and provide it with political support, defence assistance, and economic ties it cannot receive elsewhere.” That is the primary contention of a new book by Dina Esfandiary,… Continue Reading

Competition in the Eastern Mediterranean: Is Trump Missing the Point?

by James M. Dorsey A Trump administration decision to sanction two key Turkish officials in retaliation for the continued detention of an American cleric coupled with unqualified support for Israel and the adoption of a backseat in Syria threatens to further undermine… Continue Reading

Trump’s War Hysteria Against Iran Ignores Middle East Realities

by Emile Nakhleh By threatening a devastating war against Iran, President Donald Trump’s recent response to Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani’s benign statement about “the mother of all peace” and “the mother of all war” is another example of erratic and… Continue Reading

Idlib Further Complicates Turkish-Russian Relationship

by Giorgio Cafiero and Theodore Karasik On July 26, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in South Africa on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. The two met against the backdrop of growing Turkish concerns… Continue Reading