OPINION

By Maria Dubovikova Russia’s recently declared decision to lift the embargo on S-300 deliveries to Iran has a particular meaning and puts Moscow in the face of hard decisions to be made. The term “S-300” – referring to long-range surface-to-air missile systems that have been in service since …

By Raghida Dirgham There have been many recent surprises in the Arab world, mainly heading towards the direction of a developing U.S.-Iranian relationship that goes beyond mere appeasement. This is while the U.S.-Israeli relationship remains a quintessential alliance and while the U.S.-Arab relationship continues with various brandings across …

By Christiane Hoffmann Der Spiegel In an interview with SPIEGEL, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discusses his optimism that a deal will be reached over Tehran’s nuclear program. But he warns this does not mean the country is seeking rapprochment with the West. Mohammad Javad Zarif, 55, …

Jay Johnson DOJ and FBI arrested members of FIFA in Switzerland on bribery charges. However, pundits are asking who gave them such powers? And why haven’t any bankers involved in the 2008 crisis been arrested yet? And will Hillary Clinton return the money that FIFA donated to the …

The momentum towards the beginning of the Egypt-led coalition operations in Libya are gaining steam: Two weeks and counting down according to some Arab officials with the launch of full-blown air sorties and special operations to enhance General Khalifa Haftar’s Operation Dignity.  Significantly, in eight months of fighting, …

What kind of role will Russia play in the region after NATO troops have left, and to what extent does the Soviet invasion of the 1980s still shape local attitudes? True to the ‘X factor’ of Afghanistan’s nebulous, twisting history, it took a relic of the Soviet fishing …

While the war in Yemen remains inconclusive, Saudi Arabia is escalating its intervention in Syria. Unlike the Yemeni theater, where the Saudis are the largest military force, the Syrian battleground will be more complex for Riyadh. The Saudis will be partnering with Turkey, and Riyadh and Ankara are …

Shlomo Brom Shimon Stein When President Barack Obama told Prime Minister Netanyahu in his first telephone call after the Israeli elections that Washington would “reassess” its positions on U.S.-Israeli relations and Middle East diplomacy after the Israeli prime minister took a position against Palestinian statehood during his reelection …

By BRIAN CLOUGHLEY Boris Nemtsov was a Russian politician who was shot dead in Moscow on January 27, 2015.  He was opposed to Russia’s government and its leader and therefore, according to Western dogma of these times, his murder must have been ordered by President Putin. Police began …