... supplies. Can the U.S. continue to deploy as it has done in the Middle East, when and if Asia becomes the
theatre of global contestation?
During the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo focused on China and barely mentioned the Middle East, only Iran in passing. America has adopted the terminology of talking about the
Indo-Pacific
and a commitment to a FOIP — Free and Open Indo-Pacific. The language is not coincidental, it speaks to an American intentionality vis-à-vis its relationship with ...
... as well as experts from various research institutes.
Russian International Affairs Council was represented by Pyotr Kortunov, RIAC Program Coordinator, who made a report on the future of the JCPOA. A number of other issues related to security in the Middle East were touched upon during the conference: confrontation between the Gulf countries and Iran, prospects for resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict, potential escalation of regional conflicts, and other.
... platform for the US–Iranian confrontation.
The Iranians promised to take a violent revenge on the Americans for their actions. After the funeral processions in honor of Soleimani that brought together hundreds of thousands of people throughout the Middle East, Iran exercised the promised military response to the Americans. On January 8, Iran launched surface-to-surface missiles at bases with American soldiers in Iraq, hitting the Ain al-Assad base in Anbar province and a military base near Erbil. It later turned ...
Iran and the Arab states of the Gulf would gain from taking control over their security interests
The beginning of 2020 was marked by yet another major crisis in the Middle East region. The crisis culminated with the US elimination of General Qasem Soleimani and could have slipped towards direct military confrontation between the US and Iran — with unpredictable consequences not just for the MENA region but also ...
... backing from at least two permanent members of the UN Security Council — Russia and China — while Iran is busy working to build support for the initiative in the region.
Shehab Al Makahleh, Maria Al Makahleh:
2020 Forecast: Revealing the Future of the Middle East
The Emir of Qatar visited Iran for the first time during the recent crisis, calling for de-escalation and regional dialogue. Other regional states are also on record stressing the need for a genuine inclusive regional process that aims to address the region’s polarisation and ...
... opposition blocs and activists.
Proxy Wars and Protest to Escalate in the MENA
Andrey Kortunov:
The Future of the Middle East: Horizons of Challenges and Opportunities
The conflict between Saudi and Iranian agents will continue in some countries in the Middle East. Although the Iranians proved to be more skilled in this competition, the Saudis count on American support. Washington will continue to escalate pressure on Iran using Europe as a springboard for further sanctions on Tehran and Iran would probably consider future moves ...
... this domain. All of this stems from Trump’s decision to exit the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran nuclear deal) and Europe’s adamant insistence that the agreement should be preserved as a stepping stone for further dialogue with Iran on the Middle East.
Please tell us about Russia–EU cooperation in the Middle East.
Andrey Kortunov:
The Astana Model: Methods and Ambitions of Russian Political Action
I think that, in principle, the EU and Russia share much potential for cooperation in the ...
Sooner or later, the Emerging Situation Will Force the Trump Administration to Make the Difficult Choice between the JCPOA and a New War in the Middle East
In the last few months, the U.S.¬–Iran confrontation has been rapidly and steadily plunging the Middle East into the atmosphere of an impending armed conflict. The main stumbling block for Tehran and Washington is the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the two states differed ...
As long as this region is not stabilized, ISIS will continue to emerge and re-emerge
Professor Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of the Middle East Research Institute, shares his thoughts on security issues for the Middle East.
Andrey Kortunov, Michel Duclos:
Helping Iran to Make the Right Choice
Nowadays, Iran is perceived mostly as the source of instability in the region. In your opinion, there is something that regional actors and global actors can do here to change the situation?
What is clearly missing is proper ...
... surviving a very difficult strategic environment. If you think about the Gulf, one thinks of both the regional powers such as Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the global actors: the US, UK, Russia. I decided to look at something else, at Bahrain, the smallest state ... ... reminded that just because the Islamic State has lost its territory, it should not be discounted. It remains a threat to European, Middle Eastern, and international security. And we need to take it seriously. I think that more emphasis has to be paid to finding ...
