Middle East

The new American strategy on Iran is to dismantle the nuclear deal and lay the groundwork for a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Mike Pompeo, Trump’s most recent Secretary of State, recently visited Saudi Arabia and Israel, and in both countries he focused almost exclusively on Iran. As yesterday’s early morning bombing of Iranian […]

Saudi Arabia

Arms and Manipulation: How the Saudis and UAE took Trump for a Ride

Tomdispatch

By William Hartung and Ben Freeman It’s another Trump affair — this time without the allegations of sexual harassment (and worse), the charges and counter-charges, the lawsuits, and all the rest. So it hasn’t gotten the sort of headlines that Stormy Daniels has garnered, but when it comes to influence, American foreign policy, and issues […]

Iran

Trump, having Violated Iran Treaty, Insists Tehran Continue to Submit to Inspections

Andrew Beatty

Washington (AFP) – The White House wants intrusive inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites to continue despite President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from a landmark accord on Tehran’s atomic program, US officials have told AFP. Days after the US president walked away from a three-year-old deal that mandated rigorous scrutiny of Iranian facilities, senior administration officials said […]

China

The Dragon and the Lion: How China will Win Big from Trump’s Scrapping of Iran Deal

Neil Thompson

London (Informed Comment) – China has rhetorically thrown its weight behind Russia and Europe in continuing to back the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1 countries after US President Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing America from what he called “the decaying and rotten” agreement set up to contain […]

Iran

Why does the American Right hate, despise and abhor Iran so Much?

Steven Hurst

Via The Conversation | – – Now Donald Trump has finally backed out of the Iranian nuclear deal, the rest of the world is trying to understand the thinking that went into his decision. High up the list of factors is a longstanding American unease about Iran in general. But while most Americans don’t like […]

Iran

Largest Israeli raids on Syria in Years hit ‘Iranian’ Targets after Rocket Fire

AFP

by Laurent Lozano | – – Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s army said Thursday it had carried out widespread raids against Iranian targets in Syria overnight after rocket fire towards its forces which it blamed on Iran, marking a sharp escalation between the two enemies. The incident came after weeks of rising tensions and followed US […]

Featured

Trump Warmonger moves on Iran are from Iraq Playbook

Juan Cole

I teach a lot of 18 year olds, so I am keenly aware that a whole generation has come up who did not live through the Bush propaganda campaign against Iraq of 2002-2003. And, of course, a lot of people who did live through it have forgotten its details or how complicit corporate media were […]

Iran

Iran’s Rouhani: Will watch Russia, China and Europe in deciding on Nuclear Program

AFP

Tehran (AFP) – Iran said it will hold talks with signatories to a nuclear deal after US President Donald Trump’s decision Tuesday to withdraw from the accord, which it branded “psychological warfare”. President Hassan Rouhani also said Iran could resume uranium enrichment “without limit” in response to Trump’s announcement. He said he would discuss Iran’s […]

Israel/ Palestine

At 70, as Apartheid Sets in, Israel faces a new Threat: Itself

AFP

By Jonah Mandel | – – Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel has built a high-tech economy, forged the region’s strongest military and fended off enemies surrounding it in the 70 years since its creation, but many think it faces a new threat: itself. The 70th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel on May […]