President Trump has certified for the second time that Iran is in compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord that limits its nuclear program. But the leaks and background briefings surrounding his statement, followed by new sanctions announced Tuesday, sent unmistakable signals: The decision was taken grudgingly, Trump is increasingly unhappy with Iranand the deal, and …
Read More »China and WWII’s “Sarajevo” Moment
The bridge, upon which a lot of history has passed, still stands. Renovated, but with some of the original paving slabs that once echoed the hobnailed boots of Japan’s Imperial army. It was on this bridge that an incident took place, 80 years ago, that some historians now …
Read More »The EU and the Balkans: Parallel Lives Forever?
Prospects of the Western Balkans joining the European Union any time soon are fading. The sense of pessimism around the region is growing pervasive. The future of the small region is thrown into yet more doubt by the high degree of “enlargement fatigue” that has gripped EU citizens. …
Read More »With the Saudi-led camp faltering, the region’s geopolitics could be on the verge of a transformation
It may be pure coincidence that the recapture of Mosul by Iraqi forces was accomplished on the anniversary of the defeat of Israel’s July 2006 assault on Lebanon. But there is a clear link between these two achievements: they underline the regional ascendancy of Iran and its allies, …
Read More »Arab World Unity Crucial To Resolving Conflicts – Russia’s Envoy
GENEVA, July 15. /TASS/. Russia expects that the rift among the Gulf Arab nations should be overcome in the soonest possible time, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Office and other International Organizations in Geneva Alexey Borodavkin told reporters on Saturday. When asked if the rift among Gulf …
Read More »Jordan’s Mediation in the Trump-Putin Ceasefire Deal
By Shehab Al Makahleh • The July 7 meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, on the sidelines of the G20 summit, will be remembered not so much because the meeting of two most important world leaders finally occurred, despite all possible efforts by various actors to …
Read More »Turkey Hails Jordan’s Anti-Terrorism Efforts
Amman, July 14 (Petra News Agency) – Turkish Ambassador to Amman Murat Karagoz on Thursday praised the Jordanian stance and solidarity with his country during the failed coup attempt last year in Turkey. “Turkey and its people will never forget the Jordanian stance with Turkey and countries suffering …
Read More »Tripartite Deal Struck on Syria
By Shehab Al Makahleh • The United States, Russia and Jordan have agreed to foster a cease-fire in a limited area of southwestern Syria that will begin at noon on Sunday July 9, 2017. The cease-fire agreement was announced Friday by Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and his Russian …
Read More »What Trump Can Expect from Putin
President Trump will have his first meeting with President Putin at a time of dangerous U.S.-Russian tensions, amid demands to “get tough,” but ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern, a former presidential briefer, urges Trump to see Putin’s side. By Ray McGovern In the style of a President’s Daily Brief …
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