An Analysis of the Makkah Defense Pact
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkish affairs said: The power vacuum in the region after the US military withdrawal from Iraq and its intensification after the withdrawal from Afghanistan opened up space for maneuvering by regional powers, especially Turkey. In the meantime, Ankara, relying on national power, an active foreign policy, and cooperation with the main power blocs in the international system, turned towards ambition and role-playing in the affairs of countries and regional issues, the most important example of which we are witnessing today in Syria.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asian issues said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently met and conferred in the Kremlin Palace. In a part of this meeting, Putin said he had not met with Assad for a long time and had many issues to discuss. Apparently, in this meeting, the parties discussed commercial and economic relations and upcoming developments. According to the presidents of Russia and Syria, this meeting was of special importance.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s foreign policy approach towards Syria in the past decade has caused many problems and costs for Ankara in terms of national, economic, political, and demographic security.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs said China’s purpose of inviting Assad to Beijing in the current situation is more political and in line with the determination of the Chinese to strengthen their political and geopolitical role in the Middle East, especially in critical areas and disputed cases, adding: The signing of the memorandum with general titles without clear economic agreements is indicative of the fact that China currently has no intention of doing serious economic work in Syria and what is more likely is the implementation of small scale projects rather than macroeconomic plan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Syria affairs, stating that Turkey’s approach to northern Syria can still make Syria face many security challenges and will have wide-ranging consequences in Syria and the region, noted: It seems that after Bashar Assad’s opposition and announcement of his conditions and with the end of the Turkish presidential elections, Ankara’s position against Syria has become more inflexible.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah had two “main differences” from previous meetings; first, the presence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and second, the speech delivered by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Summit.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkish affairs said: The power vacuum in the region after the US military withdrawal from Iraq and its intensification after the withdrawal from Afghanistan opened up space for maneuvering by regional powers, especially Turkey. In the meantime, Ankara, relying on national power, an active foreign policy, and cooperation with the main power blocs in the international system, turned towards ambition and role-playing in the affairs of countries and regional issues, the most important example of which we are witnessing today in Syria.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asian issues said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently met and conferred in the Kremlin Palace. In a part of this meeting, Putin said he had not met with Assad for a long time and had many issues to discuss. Apparently, in this meeting, the parties discussed commercial and economic relations and upcoming developments. According to the presidents of Russia and Syria, this meeting was of special importance.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s foreign policy approach towards Syria in the past decade has caused many problems and costs for Ankara in terms of national, economic, political, and demographic security.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs said China’s purpose of inviting Assad to Beijing in the current situation is more political and in line with the determination of the Chinese to strengthen their political and geopolitical role in the Middle East, especially in critical areas and disputed cases, adding: The signing of the memorandum with general titles without clear economic agreements is indicative of the fact that China currently has no intention of doing serious economic work in Syria and what is more likely is the implementation of small scale projects rather than macroeconomic plan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Syria affairs, stating that Turkey’s approach to northern Syria can still make Syria face many security challenges and will have wide-ranging consequences in Syria and the region, noted: It seems that after Bashar Assad’s opposition and announcement of his conditions and with the end of the Turkish presidential elections, Ankara’s position against Syria has become more inflexible.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah had two “main differences” from previous meetings; first, the presence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and second, the speech delivered by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Summit.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkish affairs said: The power vacuum in the region after the US military withdrawal from Iraq and its intensification after the withdrawal from Afghanistan opened up space for maneuvering by regional powers, especially Turkey. In the meantime, Ankara, relying on national power, an active foreign policy, and cooperation with the main power blocs in the international system, turned towards ambition and role-playing in the affairs of countries and regional issues, the most important example of which we are witnessing today in Syria.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asian issues said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently met and conferred in the Kremlin Palace. In a part of this meeting, Putin said he had not met with Assad for a long time and had many issues to discuss. Apparently, in this meeting, the parties discussed commercial and economic relations and upcoming developments. According to the presidents of Russia and Syria, this meeting was of special importance.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s foreign policy approach towards Syria in the past decade has caused many problems and costs for Ankara in terms of national, economic, political, and demographic security.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs said China’s purpose of inviting Assad to Beijing in the current situation is more political and in line with the determination of the Chinese to strengthen their political and geopolitical role in the Middle East, especially in critical areas and disputed cases, adding: The signing of the memorandum with general titles without clear economic agreements is indicative of the fact that China currently has no intention of doing serious economic work in Syria and what is more likely is the implementation of small scale projects rather than macroeconomic plan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Syria affairs, stating that Turkey’s approach to northern Syria can still make Syria face many security challenges and will have wide-ranging consequences in Syria and the region, noted: It seems that after Bashar Assad’s opposition and announcement of his conditions and with the end of the Turkish presidential elections, Ankara’s position against Syria has become more inflexible.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah had two “main differences” from previous meetings; first, the presence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and second, the speech delivered by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Summit.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkish affairs said: The power vacuum in the region after the US military withdrawal from Iraq and its intensification after the withdrawal from Afghanistan opened up space for maneuvering by regional powers, especially Turkey. In the meantime, Ankara, relying on national power, an active foreign policy, and cooperation with the main power blocs in the international system, turned towards ambition and role-playing in the affairs of countries and regional issues, the most important example of which we are witnessing today in Syria.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asian issues said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently met and conferred in the Kremlin Palace. In a part of this meeting, Putin said he had not met with Assad for a long time and had many issues to discuss. Apparently, in this meeting, the parties discussed commercial and economic relations and upcoming developments. According to the presidents of Russia and Syria, this meeting was of special importance.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s foreign policy approach towards Syria in the past decade has caused many problems and costs for Ankara in terms of national, economic, political, and demographic security.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs said China’s purpose of inviting Assad to Beijing in the current situation is more political and in line with the determination of the Chinese to strengthen their political and geopolitical role in the Middle East, especially in critical areas and disputed cases, adding: The signing of the memorandum with general titles without clear economic agreements is indicative of the fact that China currently has no intention of doing serious economic work in Syria and what is more likely is the implementation of small scale projects rather than macroeconomic plan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Syria affairs, stating that Turkey’s approach to northern Syria can still make Syria face many security challenges and will have wide-ranging consequences in Syria and the region, noted: It seems that after Bashar Assad’s opposition and announcement of his conditions and with the end of the Turkish presidential elections, Ankara’s position against Syria has become more inflexible.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah had two “main differences” from previous meetings; first, the presence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and second, the speech delivered by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Summit.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkish affairs said: The power vacuum in the region after the US military withdrawal from Iraq and its intensification after the withdrawal from Afghanistan opened up space for maneuvering by regional powers, especially Turkey. In the meantime, Ankara, relying on national power, an active foreign policy, and cooperation with the main power blocs in the international system, turned towards ambition and role-playing in the affairs of countries and regional issues, the most important example of which we are witnessing today in Syria.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asian issues said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently met and conferred in the Kremlin Palace. In a part of this meeting, Putin said he had not met with Assad for a long time and had many issues to discuss. Apparently, in this meeting, the parties discussed commercial and economic relations and upcoming developments. According to the presidents of Russia and Syria, this meeting was of special importance.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s foreign policy approach towards Syria in the past decade has caused many problems and costs for Ankara in terms of national, economic, political, and demographic security.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs said China’s purpose of inviting Assad to Beijing in the current situation is more political and in line with the determination of the Chinese to strengthen their political and geopolitical role in the Middle East, especially in critical areas and disputed cases, adding: The signing of the memorandum with general titles without clear economic agreements is indicative of the fact that China currently has no intention of doing serious economic work in Syria and what is more likely is the implementation of small scale projects rather than macroeconomic plan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Syria affairs, stating that Turkey’s approach to northern Syria can still make Syria face many security challenges and will have wide-ranging consequences in Syria and the region, noted: It seems that after Bashar Assad’s opposition and announcement of his conditions and with the end of the Turkish presidential elections, Ankara’s position against Syria has become more inflexible.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah had two “main differences” from previous meetings; first, the presence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and second, the speech delivered by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Summit.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkish affairs said: The power vacuum in the region after the US military withdrawal from Iraq and its intensification after the withdrawal from Afghanistan opened up space for maneuvering by regional powers, especially Turkey. In the meantime, Ankara, relying on national power, an active foreign policy, and cooperation with the main power blocs in the international system, turned towards ambition and role-playing in the affairs of countries and regional issues, the most important example of which we are witnessing today in Syria.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asian issues said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently met and conferred in the Kremlin Palace. In a part of this meeting, Putin said he had not met with Assad for a long time and had many issues to discuss. Apparently, in this meeting, the parties discussed commercial and economic relations and upcoming developments. According to the presidents of Russia and Syria, this meeting was of special importance.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s foreign policy approach towards Syria in the past decade has caused many problems and costs for Ankara in terms of national, economic, political, and demographic security.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs said China’s purpose of inviting Assad to Beijing in the current situation is more political and in line with the determination of the Chinese to strengthen their political and geopolitical role in the Middle East, especially in critical areas and disputed cases, adding: The signing of the memorandum with general titles without clear economic agreements is indicative of the fact that China currently has no intention of doing serious economic work in Syria and what is more likely is the implementation of small scale projects rather than macroeconomic plan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Syria affairs, stating that Turkey’s approach to northern Syria can still make Syria face many security challenges and will have wide-ranging consequences in Syria and the region, noted: It seems that after Bashar Assad’s opposition and announcement of his conditions and with the end of the Turkish presidential elections, Ankara’s position against Syria has become more inflexible.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah had two “main differences” from previous meetings; first, the presence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and second, the speech delivered by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Summit.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkish affairs said: The power vacuum in the region after the US military withdrawal from Iraq and its intensification after the withdrawal from Afghanistan opened up space for maneuvering by regional powers, especially Turkey. In the meantime, Ankara, relying on national power, an active foreign policy, and cooperation with the main power blocs in the international system, turned towards ambition and role-playing in the affairs of countries and regional issues, the most important example of which we are witnessing today in Syria.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asian issues said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently met and conferred in the Kremlin Palace. In a part of this meeting, Putin said he had not met with Assad for a long time and had many issues to discuss. Apparently, in this meeting, the parties discussed commercial and economic relations and upcoming developments. According to the presidents of Russia and Syria, this meeting was of special importance.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey’s foreign policy approach towards Syria in the past decade has caused many problems and costs for Ankara in terms of national, economic, political, and demographic security.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs said China’s purpose of inviting Assad to Beijing in the current situation is more political and in line with the determination of the Chinese to strengthen their political and geopolitical role in the Middle East, especially in critical areas and disputed cases, adding: The signing of the memorandum with general titles without clear economic agreements is indicative of the fact that China currently has no intention of doing serious economic work in Syria and what is more likely is the implementation of small scale projects rather than macroeconomic plan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Syria affairs, stating that Turkey’s approach to northern Syria can still make Syria face many security challenges and will have wide-ranging consequences in Syria and the region, noted: It seems that after Bashar Assad’s opposition and announcement of his conditions and with the end of the Turkish presidential elections, Ankara’s position against Syria has become more inflexible.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The recent meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah had two “main differences” from previous meetings; first, the presence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and second, the speech delivered by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Summit.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: In recent weeks, the “suspicious movements” of the US in Syria have spread. So that the movement of American political and intelligence officials to areas in the northeast of Syria, as well as the holding of meetings to exchange views with the opposition of the Damascus government outside of Syria, have increased.
Hamid Khoshayand-Regional affairs expert
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.