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Middle East

Iranian president meets with Putin, discusses ways to boost cooperation in all sectors

What Iran Is Learning from Russia’s War and Why the U.S. Should Be Concerned

KREMLIN FILES/COLUMN: The war in Ukraine is often framed by optimistic academics, and some policymakers as a cautionary tale—an example of how [...] More

Middle EastIran

The Latest

While the U.S. Focuses on Iran, Russia and China See Strategic Gain

Dave Pitts

While the U.S. Focuses on Iran, Russia and China See Strategic Gain

OPINION — Russia and China are certainly concerned about the desperate state of Iran’s regime, an invaluable transactional partner to both countries. [...] More

Middle EastIranDave Pitts

Why the ‘Day After’ Is The Most Important Day in the Iranian Conflict

Paul Miller

Why the ‘Day After’ Is The Most Important Day in the Iranian Conflict

OPINION — The countries that get held up as models for this kind of US led attack are worth looking at closely, because they’re instructive in the [...] More

Middle EastIran
Blockade by Permission: How Iran Determines Who Gets Through Hormuz

Blockade by Permission: How Iran Determines Who Gets Through Hormuz

For roughly two weeks, the Karachi, a Pakistani-flagged Aframax tanker loaded with crude at Das Island in Abu Dhabi, sat waiting for a signal that [...] More

Middle EastIran

Why the ‘Day After’ Is The Most Important Day in the Iranian Conflict

Paul Miller

Why the ‘Day After’ Is The Most Important Day in the Iranian Conflict

OPINION — The countries that get held up as models for this kind of US led attack are worth looking at closely, because they’re instructive in the [...] More

Middle EastIran

Down But Not Out: Iran’s Axis of Resistance

Michele Kernitsky

Down But Not Out: Iran’s Axis of Resistance

OPINION — When HAMAS attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, Iran and its partners around the Middle East—collectively known as the Axis of [...] More

Middle EastIran
STRAIT OF HORMUZ - 17 JANUARY 2026

At the Center of the World’s Most Dangerous Chokepoint

EXPERT INTERVIEW – Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and growing concerns about the security of global energy supplies, the Strait of [...] More

Middle EastIran

Defining Victory in the Iran War

John McLaughlin

Defining Victory in the Iran War

OPINION — Two weeks ago, in the first hours of the war, I listed several possible scenarios for the outcome. No one can confidently know where this [...] More

Middle EastExpert View
Interceptor Math: How Iran’s Drone Swarms Strain U.S. Defenses

Interceptor Math: How Iran’s Drone Swarms Strain U.S. Defenses

Western intelligence assessments indicate that Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal has been cut in half - from roughly 2,500 projectiles down to [...] More

Middle EastIran

The War’s Next Phase: Five Indicators That Matter Most

General Scott Miller (Ret.)

The War’s Next Phase: Five Indicators That Matter Most

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – I’m always reluctant to comment on current events, as it feels a bit like being an armchair quarterback, but I have been asked [...] More

IranMiddle EastExpert View
Commercial vessels divert to UAE coasts amid navigation issues

The Hormuz Standoff: Global Energy Flow Severs After 'Epic Fury' Strikes

The Hormuz Standoff: Global Energy Flow Severs After 'Epic Fury' StrikesAs tensions in and around Iran proliferate, the narrow waterway between Iran [...] More

Middle EastIran
After the Strikes: Is Iran on the Brink?

After the Strikes: Is Iran on the Brink?

U.S. and Israeli forces intensified their unprecedented military campaign against Iran over the weekend, striking strategic military, political and [...] More

Middle EastIranBrad Christian
Inside the High-Stakes U.S. Pressure Campaign on Iran

Inside the High-Stakes U.S. Pressure Campaign on Iran

EXPERT INTERVIEW – U.S. officials say a second aircraft carrier will be deployed to the Middle East amid the administration’s efforts to pressure [...] More

Middle EastIran