Strategic Council Online – Opinion: CNN recently reported that Saudi Arabia is actively cooperating with China to develop ballistic missiles. According to satellite images obtained by CNN from its sources, Saudi Arabia is producing ballistic missiles at least in one base.
Kamran Karami – Researcher on Saudi Arabia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on the Middle East affairs, commenting on the targets of the recent measure of the King of Bahrain in appointing the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Syria after 10 years said that Manama pursues two main targets in such measure; first, the use of economic benefits in Syria, that is to say participation in the reconstruction of the country, and second, with regard to the profound transformation in the new regional equations, including the Tehran-Riyadh talks and the reduction of US presence in the region, Bahrain does not want to lag behind such equations. In addition, alleviating pressure on the public opinion, due to the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, can also be one of the objectives of the Zionist regime behind such action.
Council Online Strategic – Interview: An expert on the Middle East affairs commenting on the consequences of Bahrain’s decision to normalize relations with the Zionist regime said: Normalization of relations between the small country of Bahrain and the regime will not have much effect on changing the balance of power in favor of Tel Aviv, but in terms of the movements of the Palestinian militants, this hasty relationship is like a poisoned dagger that has stabbed the Palestinian people on the back.
Strategic council Online – Opinion: At the end of cold war and development in many concepts related to international relations, diplomacy was also subjected to change. As economic and cultural issues gained importance, monopoly of security and merely political issues was also reached to its ending and have lost their importance. Thus, based on the necessities of international environment, conventional diplomacy was replaced with newer diplomacies like economic diplomacy.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher of International Issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on the Middle East affairs, commenting on the grounds for economic cooperation between Iran and the Axis of Resistance countries, especially Iraq, said: Unlike some media scene setting, there is a great potential for economic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad, much of which have been exploited.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Heating up the issue of de-escalation of tension between Iran and its southern neighbors in the Persian Gulf, particularly two main players of the regional bloc. i.e. Saudi Arabia and UAE, have bolded trade element, economic cooperation and the necessity of export promotion to Arab countries of the Persian Gulf ahead of the perspective to this end.
Dr. Kamran Karami, Expert on Arab Peninsula affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of West Asia affairs, explaining the new US strategy in Iraq after troop withdrawal, said: The United States seeks to change the military, security, and political arrangements in Iraq and build capacity for a possible normalization of Baghdad’s relations with the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online- Interview: An expert of the Middle East affairs commented on the recent efforts made by UAE to preserve its relations with Washington and simultaneous expansion of ties with Tehran and Tel Aviv and said:” UAE tries to use its relations with Iran as a leverage in line with its interests with Israeli regime and the U.S. and employs its relations with Tel Aviv and Washington as a leverage versus Iran in order to keep all parties.
Strategic Council Online- Interview: Having stated that Ankara needs to organize its economy through changing her regional inclination as well as to convergence with those countries it has had political challenges, an analyst on Turkey affaires said:” it seems that Turkey and Saudi Arabia can take steps towards sorting out some of their differences of opinion”.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of West Asia affairs, saying that Saudi Arabia, while trying to reduce tensions with countries in the region, is reconsidering its foreign policy, noted: Under the current situation, internal issues and proclamation of the monarchy have gained more importance for Mohammad bin Salman, and we are witnessing more defensive policy on the part of Saudi Arabia..
Strategic Council Online- Opinion: Regional tour of Mohammad Bin Salman to five countries of Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar (Persian Gulf Cooperation Council members) is considered to be the most important political, economic and security momentum of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in the last days of 2021. It is also interpreted as a remedial measure for fragile situation of Saudis at the regional and world levels. It should be noted that one of the objectives of Mohammad Bin Salman was to consult with the authorities of littoral Arab states of Persian Gulf and to make a consensus to confront some of the regional as well as the global issues such as Yemen, Iran, JCPOA revival, etc.
Hamid Khoshayand, Expert of Regional Issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former Iranian ambassador to Paris, saying that with Macron’s regional tour of the region, the French presence in the region will be more prominent in the political and military dimensions, added: The positions and movements of the French president in the region aims to influence the French presidential elections next spring.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia are moving towards normalization, and the main reason is primarily political; because the series of developments that caused tension in their relations have become completely ineffective today.
Fatemeh Nekoolal Azad – Expert on international affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on US affairs, commenting on the US President Joe Biden’s recent claims that one of the reasons for the US military presence outside the borders, including deployment of US troops in the Persian Gulf region such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria, is Iran’s regional activities, said: Although there are talks over a change in Washington’s approach in the Middle East region in line with implementation of Biden’s stated policies in that region, in general, it seems that the main foundations of the US foreign policy in the region have not changed much, rather the process of implementation of its policies has been subject to changes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of West Asia affairs, stressing that resignation of the Lebanese minister of information will not resolve the Riyadh-Beirut issues, said: Saudi aid is a function of Riyadh’s policies in Beirut, that is to say an attempt to isolate the Hezbollah and the Axis of Resistance.
Strategic Council Online- Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs commented on the new initiatives of some Arab states like Saudi Arabia and UAE to improve their relations with Syria and said:” what is obvious is that all such initiatives and statements represent that Syrian government is now in a strong position different from the past; in the other words such actions and reactions show that today Syria is, from the stability and security points of view, in the state of in-vulnerability.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon said that Saudi Arabia in any case seeks to create chaos, form a kind of political vacuum and create crisis in Lebanon. Riyadh also intends to lead the Resistance to the civil war and tarnish its image in that country. He noted: The main problem of Riyadh is the presence of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and with the resignation of Mr. Qardahi, Saudi Arabia will not take a positive step to solve Lebanon’s economic problems.
Strategic Council Online- Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs commented on measures taken by some Arab states of Persian Gulf towards Bashar Assad government during recent years and stated:” Since 2011 when the Syrian crisis started, countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain tried in coordination to strengthen terrorist group-lets and thus topple Bashar Assad government”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent visit of the UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Ankara and the consequences of this visit in Turkish foreign policy shows that the Turkish president, despite his decisive vision in domestic politics, has become more realistic in foreign policy in recent years and the new round of relations with the UAE is important in economic, political, and regional terms and in strengthening Ankara’s position in the international arena.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Analyst of international affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said: It seems that given some efforts to improve Tehran-Riyadh relations, the Russians are assuming they can somehow play the role of an accelerator and a catalyst in this process and by re-engaging in the project “Collective Security Program in the Persian Gulf” take the credit for normalization and de-escalation in these such relations.
