... against regional Shiites. Of course, this role would hardly reflect the organization’s genuine essence but it may as well be unquestionably perceived in this function by the populations and elites of the Gulf, which should bolster its stance in the Middle East and beyond. Even before the KSA-Iran conflict escalated, IS ideas had been
welcomed by almost 63 million people
in 11 Muslim countries. If reborn, IS may expand its army of sympathizers everywhere, including the most faith-sensitive territories in Russia and along its perimeter. The ...
... not well fortified, and the flow of radical ideas, terrorist fighters and recruiters into the Caucasus and Central Asia can make Russia particularly vulnerable.
Before the Arab Spring Russia managed to build relationships with different players in the Middle East, including Iran, Israel, a number of Arab states, Hamas and Hezbollah. Under today's conditions of deepening interstate and inter-confessional confrontation in the Middle East, the problem of conflicting interests has become very acute for the Russian policy makers....
... in Syria have brought to light the underlying goals pursued by those states in the region that have been involved in the Syrian conflict, which led to the much-noticed polarization among them: those countries intent on reconstructing stability in the Middle East carrying out a real fight against terrorist groups and defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states in the region, have supported Russian actions. These include Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, the national patriotic forces of Lebanon and Jordan.
The leadership of those countries which, on the other hand, solely aim to advance their own political interests and try to use the Syrian conflict (and particularly instrumentalize radical ...
October 2015
1. Introduction
In July 2015, the P5 + 1 countries reached a deal on the Iranian nuclear program and on the lifting of economic sanctions imposed on Iran. This important development in Middle Eastern strategy led to extensive commentary from many different stakeholders, including the governments of the United States, Israel, Iran, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Russian and GCC commentators are very familiar with both ...
By Alexey Ilin & Claire Berger
The nuclear accord between the P5+1 and Iran will have significant implications beyond the Middle East, particularly when it comes to Russo-Iranian relations. As Paul N. Schwartz, a non-resident senior associate with the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has argued, “Russia is likely to emerge as a key beneficiary of the process.” ...
... Ukraine-style. Many observers predict these, or similar, scenarios for the Middle East, which is already permeated by chronic conflicts, border disputes and territories populated largely by religious, ethnic and other minorities.
Do you see any role in the Middle East settlement for Russia?
The Iranian issue remains of paramount importance for Israel, thousands or maybe even dozens of thousands of the latest missiles targeted by the Hezbollah against northern Israel from Lebanon, as well as the threat of shelling from the Gaza Strip.
Israel ...
... Crown Prince Mohammed, his own son. The two officials are responsible for KSA’s foreign policy in war-torn regions of the Middle East, as well as for domestic security policy. Both Abu Dhabi and Manama sent Crown Princes, real policy makers in their ... ... the end of the summit Barack Obama made it abundantly clear that he cannot sacrifice the chance for a historic breakthrough in Iran nuclear talks for GCC’s comfort. “I want to be very clear: The purpose of any strategic cooperation is not to ...
... resources have circulated the message without actually commenting on it. It would seem that the situation is clear – the U.S. missile “umbrella” is designed to protect its allies on the Arabian Peninsula from the expected missile “rain” from Iran.
Talking to U.S. diplomats and military personnel who have been working in the Middle East for a number of decades, as well as regional experts and political scientists, helps us reconstruct a picture of the world as it appears in the minds of those who determine U.S. policy in the region. They are not interested in resolving the ...
April has been a month of vibrant Russian foreign policy activity in the Middle East. A number of Middle Eastern leaders visited Moscow; Russian diplomats held the second consultative meeting between representatives of the Syrian ... ... citizens other countries, including the United States and Europe; Russia took an active part in reaching an interim solution in the Iranian nuclear talks; and Russian diplomats have been working on draft resolutions at the UN Security Council.
Some of the Russian ...
Military aircraft in the Middle East conflicts
December 18, 2011 was a momentous day for the U.S. Air Force: it flew the
last combat sorties
as part ... ... not quite the case, of course. The second horseman of the Apocalypse has not left these lands at least from the start of the Iran–Iraq war in 1980. Only the protagonists change (with the exception of Iraq itself). The new force is the Islamic State ...
