Strategic Council Online: A university professor cited Moscow’s announcement that Khalifa Haftar has left Moscow without signing a ceasefire agreement with the Libyan National Unity Government, saying: “Until the Arab countries are convinced that Khalifa Haftar will have the upper hand in the agreements to be reached, they will not be willing to allow him to agree to a ceasefire.”
Strategic Council Online: An expert on African affairs says the proxy war in Libya has somehow started with the intervention of the regional states, mainly the Arab states. He considers the ineffectiveness of the National Unity Government a means to further intensify the provocative efforts of Khalifa Haftar, emphasizing that in these circumstances, one cannot virtually draw a good perspective for the future of the Libyan government.
Strategic Council Online: The United States bombed five strongholds of Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) in al-Qa’im near the Iraqi-Syrian border on Sunday, December 29, 2019 which left 25 martyrs and more than 50 injured. The Americans claim the attack was in response to an attack on December 27 on an Iraqi military base where a group of US troops were also deployed. During the attack, several Americans and a number of Iraqi Army forces were injured and a US civilian contractor was killed.
Strategic Council Online: An international affairs analyst said that if the US pullout from international institutions and agreements continues, it could weaken these accords. “If Trump’s withdrawal from these accords had a tangible achievement for Americans and if this could change America’s relative advantage compared to certain countries, such as China and Russia, the policy is likely to find supporters among other countries and even the Democrats prompting them to continue this trend.”
Strategic Council Online: An analyst on African and West Asian affairs, referring to Algeria’s presidential election and the subsequent unrests, said the opposition’s capacity was not big enough to accomplish their goals behind the protest rallies; so it seems that the government would eventually succeed in forcing the opposition to stop their demonstrations first by giving them promises and then by threatening them.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations emphasized that Iran’s view of its relations with China is strategic and comprehensive.
Strategic Council Online: The Turkish government has announced that its army will remain on the Syrian soil until the political situation in Syria is stabilized despite calls by Iran, Russia and the Damascus government for withdrawal of foreign forces including the Turkish army from Syrian territory.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Middle East affairs expert
Strategic Council Online: Iran cannot remain indifferent to the future of Afghanistan, its neighbor, and at the same time, a just and lasting peace cannot be achieved without Iranian cooperation. Iran’s strategy vis-à-vis Afghanistan appears to be continued negotiations with the Afghan government and the Taliban, taking into account the views of other influential groups.
Mohsen Pakaeen – Former Director of Afghanistan Department at IRI Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Strategic Council Online: Former Middle East Director-General of the IRI Foreign Ministry believes that after the recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, the authorities in Riyadh have concluded that the crisis is getting out of control.
Strategic Council Online: Former Iranian ambassador to Baghdad believes Iran-Iraq relations are strong enough so that the attack on the Iranian consulate in Najaf under the provocation of third parties, or the resignation of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi cannot disrupt the foundation of those ties.
Strategic Council Online: Former Director of Afghanistan Affairs Department at IRI Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the US President’s unannounced visit to Afghanistan and presence at Bagram military base was an unusual act contrary to the independence of an independent state. He added: Although the US claims that talks to reach a peace deal are on track, but they are unlikely to have a tangible outcome in the current situation, and after Trump’s trip to Afghanistan, Taliban officials have said they are not ready for peace talks unless an agreement is signed.
Strategic Council Online: The main goal of the Zionist regime in getting close to certain Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, on the one hand, is to show that some Arab leaders have recognized its legitimacy and to get close to Iran’s strategic borders on the other side.
Davood Ahmadzadeh – Middle East Affairs Expert
Strategic Council Online: A Middle East affairs expert and history researcher says the Riyadh agreement between the Yemeni Transitional Council and Mansour Hadi cannot help restore calm in Yemen. He said the aim of the deal is not peace but to increase pressure on Ansarullah.
Strategic Council Online: The United States uses the label of support for terrorism to tarnish Iran’s image. Iran needs to make revelations to counter these allegations by Washington. In fact, the main weakness of our country is the question of publicity. In other words, Iran should clarify these issues for the world people
Abdolreza Farajirad – Expert on Geopolitical Issues
Strategic Council Online: An analyst on regional issues, referring to the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the pressure of certain countries to wage a civil war in Lebanon and weaken the Lebanese Hezbollah, said that today more than being normal events based on current developments the recent unrests revolve around the demands of the external elements with an aim to undermine stability and peace in Lebanon.
Strategic Council Online: By dispatching an American delegation to the Davos Summit in Riyadh, President Donald Trump is trying to change the ruthless image of Bin Salman in the media and public opinion around the world, including Asia, Europe, America and Africa following the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Strategic Council Online: The Bahraini regime is now one of the weak links in opposition to Iranian regional policy in the Middle East and sees the best way to move closer to the Zionist regime to advance its anti-Iranian goals.
Davood Ahmadzadeh – Middle East Affairs Expert
Strategic Council Online: The declared goal of the US and its allies’ maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf is to limit Iran’s maneuvering power and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea, and it looks like the US will continue to maintain its naval fleet in the Persian Gulf for the next three decades.
Strategic Council Online: White House leaders have shown that US support for Saudi Arabia will continue as long as Saudi petrodollars flow into the pockets of US arms dealers.
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: Most of the OPEC member states are Saudi allies who have taken anti-Iranian positions on various occasions, and more than OPEC they have sought to strengthen the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.
Reza Majidzadeh – Researcher in Political Economy of Development
