... shipped into the country via Saudi Arabia and the UAE). What will be the effect, though, on the Sunni alliance led by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, now accused by Tehran of complicity in the twin terrorist attacks on Iran’s Majlis and Imam Khomeini Mausoleum, which claimed the lives of 12 people?
Turkey’s stance will rely on one more factor: ... ... the Muslim Brotherhood, is defeated, will it be Turkey’s turn next?
The good news for us is that the “Astana troika” of Russia, Turkey and Iran, spearheaded by Russia, will most certainly gain an impetus to deepen cooperation in the Syrian peace ...
... game of one-upmanship against the US from Europe to the Middle East. Russia’s desire to be a global power requires a more nuanced and long term view; especially of the second and third order effects of its actions.
For the GCC states, and especially Saudi Arabia, Russian backing of Iran (through sale of sophisticated military equipment) and its military and political support of the Syrian regime is of grave concern. The nuclear deal has only emboldened Iran’s aggressive actions and seen an uptick in its support for terrorist groups ...
... relations. The most important such player is the USA, which, despite the recent worsening in bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia, will remain Riyadh's key strategic partner, no matter how much Russia would like the opposite to be true.
In addition, Russia and Saudi Arabia hold opposing stances on Iran. Tehran, Riyadh's main rival in the region, is more than a historic partner to Moscow. The recent easing of international sanctions has made Iran much more appealing to Russian investors. Russian companies are in active talks over their involvement ...
... will be felt in the entire region for many years to come.
What can external powers do to mitigate the turmoil in the region? To be sure, any external involvement is likely to have only a marginal impact on key regional countries like Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, a new concept of regional collective security proposed by the international community might help to limit the international repercussions of domestic crises like the one that took place in Turkey, and provide for a regional ‘straitjacket’ ...
... Welcome to crowdfunding with the enemy. Here'show it works.
Reuters and CNN buzzed up a tenuous agreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia to freeze oil output at current “maximum” production levels( no reduction in production). But this initiative can't move forward without the approval of Iran, who want to increase production and earn hard currency. What the media claimed to be a "done deal" will never ...
... of the Russian presence nor of U.S. policies, the atmosphere has become permeated with nervousness, unpredictability and high risks. All of this may drive them into steps fraught with long-term hazards.
New Regional Escalation as a Maturity Test for Russian and American Strategies
Broken diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have only legitimized the mutual rejection and antagonism, which for a long time had existed in the form of proxy wars. A further unbalancing of regional security may entail an aggravation of current crises and an exacerbation of nascent tensions,...
... diplomatic attention that it has attracted, but also in terms of the staggering variety of foreign troops officially and unofficially operating on Syrian territory. This comes at a time when the long-term regional role of key players such as the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, remains up in the air. This report aims to remedy this communication lacuna by furnishing readers with Russian and GCC perspectives on the issue, delivered by researchers specializing in Gulf strategic issues.
Introduction
The Syrian conflict continues ...
.... During OPEC’s November 2014 meeting, the organization officially abandoned its role as a swing producer by refusing to cut production and support oil prices.
Some analysts speculated that a Saudi-led GCC decision in OPEC was targeted against Iran and Russia. Saudi Arabia has had its own experience with such market conditions in the 1980s and does not want to repeat the same mistake for the sake of other producers’ benefits. Saudi oil minister Ali Al-Naimi was very clear in explaining Saudi oil policy: ...
Introduction
In May 2015, the Russian government removed political and legal barriers to the sale of the S-300 missile system to Iran, paving the way for a commercial agreement and subsequent delivery. This highly controversial decision led to extensive commentary ... ... and changing regional dynamics, Russia does have the chance to play a bigger and more effective role in the region.
Recently, Saudi Arabia signed a commitment with Russia to invest up to US $10 billion on various projects, and as part of the agreement,...
... Kissinger Iran is the threat
Henry Kissinger, who commended RIAC members during discussions a few months ago, recently posited that Iran is a bigger threat than ISIS because, as a political and religious institution, it has been around longer, and has long held the goal of removing Saudi Arabia as the center of world Islam.
Days before that statement, in a Wall Street Journal teaser article promoting his ... ... to the American Enterprise Institute and said he hoped that the U.S. leader would call for more defense spending. In Moscow, Russian president Vladimir Putin has been saying that for a long time. Asking the American people to spend more to roll back ISIS,...
