Geopolitics

A comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program may be announced on Wednesday, an Iranian journalist said on the sidelines of the ongoing talks in Vienna. “On Friday the journalists covering the talks expected an announcement about the successful resolution of the parley to come on Monday,”Behrooz Shojaee told Sputnik Persian.”Monday came, but nothing …

US hawks want Washington to shape its Russian policy around mounting military and economic pressure along with tough rhetoric thrown in. President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations Leslie H. Gelb calls this a “dangerous and losing strategy.”  Anti-Russian sanctions and NATO’s military buildup “merely invite Russian …

Extremely maneuverable, ultra-fast and elusive, the hypersonic Yu-71 can break through any missile defense system, military experts said. Russia has reportedly carried out four tests already. Russia is test-launching a new hypersonic attack aircraft that can carry nuclear warheads and penetrate missile defense systems, US media said citing …

Beijing’s One Belt, One Road initiative, a viable alternative to China’s vulnerable sea routes through the South China Sea, is aimed at bolstering China’s economy and preventing the US from imposing a distant blockade of the country, Stratfor notes. China’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century …

Representatives of the Arab League meet Thursday in Cairo to discuss the deadly attacks on military checkpoints in North Sinai which occurred the previous day; the emergency session was reportedly requested by Egypt. The Arab League is convening an emergency session on Thursday in connection with the July 1 attacks by Islamic …

A crucial part of the United States’ plan to train moderate Syrian rebels to combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group is locating those so-called “moderates.” The problem: those are becoming harder and harder to find.  Last June, the White House asked Congress for $500 million to train and …

Saudi Arabia and other key US allies in the Middle East have started asserting themselves more aggressively in the region after living years in the shadow of Washington, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in an interview published Sunday.  Assange said during the Vesti Nedeli (News of the Week) show on Russia’s …

NATO’s unprecedented decision to deploy troops and heavy weaponry to Russia’s western border spells the beginning of a “new and potentially more dangerous cold war,” which will lead to increasingly strained relations with Moscow and escalating violence in Ukraine, the National Interest reported.  “Taking this perhaps fateful step …

Armenia’s “Electric Yerevan” protests against a hike in power tariffs coincide with Armenia’s sale of a massive complex of dams to a little-known US company with US government approval. We look at how it could impact US influence in the region.  Protests over electricity price hikes in Armenia follow the …