TOPICS

The recent announcement of indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, slated to take place on Friday in Muscat, Oman, marks a critical juncture in diplomatic efforts surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. As reported by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the discussions will focus primarily on nuclear issues and …

Eng. Saleem Al-Batayneh More than six years ago, Jordan’s Economic and Social Council issued a warning in its landmark report The State of the Nation. It concluded that Jordan was suffering from a compounded, accumulated crisis—multi-layered, deeply interconnected, and inseparable in its economic and social dimensions. These overlapping …

Hadi Elis In January 2026, Kurdish diasporas across the world launched coordinated solidarity demonstrations in response to escalating violence against Kurds in Syria (Rojava) and Iran (Rojhelat). These mobilizations were triggered by what Kurdish organizations and human rights advocates describe as war crimes and crimes against humanity committed …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh In the final week of January 2026, the Kremlin was unusually crowded. Russian President Vladimir Putin received a succession of leaders from the Arab world, held calls with regional rivals, and quietly reinforced Moscow’s image as a power that speaks to everyone—at a time when …

Bridget Toomey A pro-Iran government in Baghdad will compromise US development plans for Iraq. The man Iraq’s Shia leadership picked as their candidate to lead the country, former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, won’t get an American nod of approval. Maliki was announced on January 24, two and a …

J. James Kim Donald Trump’s administration has made it clear that it expects more military burden-sharing from South Korea. The much-awaited release of the Donald Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy (NDS) signals some interesting changes underway on the Korean Peninsula. The Department of Defense document signals a shift …

Stavros Atlamazoglou The Souda Naval Base—located on the Greek island of Crete—is the largest US base in the eastern Mediterranean, and a vital stopping point on the way to the Middle East. When one thinks of naval divers, one’s mind naturally gravitates towards exotic, high-risk missions—Navy SEALs infiltrating …

Arman Mahmoudian The decision to bomb Iran could lead to disastrous consequences for the United States. The decision not to could be far worse. “We have a lot of ships going that [Iran] direction, just in case… We have an armada heading in that direction, and maybe we …

Seven months ago, President Donald Trump declared that U.S. airstrikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities. This week, he is threatening to strike them again—warning that the next attack will be “far worse” unless Tehran agrees to nuclear negotiations. Something doesn’t add up. Either the June …