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– Opinion: Erdogan’s strategic visit to the Persian Gulf creates an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s regional role, alongside the economic consequences.
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 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- Opinion: Any effort aimed at economic collapse of the coalition government is at first stage a kind of investment made by Saudi Arabia for the next Lebanese election in March 2022.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher, International Affairs
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: On 28 August 2021, Baghdad was host to one of the most important regional meetings entitled the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Guests participating in this one-day meeting included high-ranking officials from influential Arab and non-Arab states. The Baghdad conference was highly significant from two respects: first, the level and arrangement of participants that have deep differences bilaterally, trilaterally and on many aspects, second, the goals which were pursued in the meeting at domestic, regional and international levels.
Barsam Mohammadi—International issues analyst
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently issued a decree announcing the holding of parliamentary elections in that country on October 2. Although the election is considered a practice of democracy in a country with a tribal system, it challenges the approach of other tribal regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, rather than the real electoral aspects.
Hassan Hanizadeh – expert on the Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Former director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Middle East, while referring to the tensions in the relations between Riyadh and Beirut which resulted in the resignation of the Lebanese foreign minister, said if interests of Saudi Arabia are secured in the composition of the next Lebanese cabinet, the pressure would decrease and their policies will also change. Otherwise, he said, pressures will continue on Lebanon and they will create obstacles so as a stable government is not formed in Beirut.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs and assistant professor of international relations in the Human Sciences Research Center says relations between Baghdad and Riyadh have faced many highs and lows during the past several decades.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on geopolitical affairs commenting on NATO cooperation with Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf, said: Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia since their independence had been under British tutelage and were totally dependent on that country and after Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal, the United States replaced it. In fact, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf think that by setting up their bases Western countries would provide them with security, but this is not the case, as we see today that Saudi Arabia is the target of the Yemeni missiles.
Strategic Council Online – The US methods and incentives to sell arms to West Asia are more in line with building business for defense contractors than building security in West Asia.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on international affairs
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– Opinion: Erdogan’s strategic visit to the Persian Gulf creates an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s regional role, alongside the economic consequences.
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 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- Opinion: Any effort aimed at economic collapse of the coalition government is at first stage a kind of investment made by Saudi Arabia for the next Lebanese election in March 2022.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher, International Affairs
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: On 28 August 2021, Baghdad was host to one of the most important regional meetings entitled the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Guests participating in this one-day meeting included high-ranking officials from influential Arab and non-Arab states. The Baghdad conference was highly significant from two respects: first, the level and arrangement of participants that have deep differences bilaterally, trilaterally and on many aspects, second, the goals which were pursued in the meeting at domestic, regional and international levels.
Barsam Mohammadi—International issues analyst
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently issued a decree announcing the holding of parliamentary elections in that country on October 2. Although the election is considered a practice of democracy in a country with a tribal system, it challenges the approach of other tribal regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, rather than the real electoral aspects.
Hassan Hanizadeh – expert on the Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Former director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Middle East, while referring to the tensions in the relations between Riyadh and Beirut which resulted in the resignation of the Lebanese foreign minister, said if interests of Saudi Arabia are secured in the composition of the next Lebanese cabinet, the pressure would decrease and their policies will also change. Otherwise, he said, pressures will continue on Lebanon and they will create obstacles so as a stable government is not formed in Beirut.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs and assistant professor of international relations in the Human Sciences Research Center says relations between Baghdad and Riyadh have faced many highs and lows during the past several decades.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on geopolitical affairs commenting on NATO cooperation with Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf, said: Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia since their independence had been under British tutelage and were totally dependent on that country and after Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal, the United States replaced it. In fact, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf think that by setting up their bases Western countries would provide them with security, but this is not the case, as we see today that Saudi Arabia is the target of the Yemeni missiles.
Strategic Council Online – The US methods and incentives to sell arms to West Asia are more in line with building business for defense contractors than building security in West Asia.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on international affairs
Strategic Council Online– Opinion: Erdogan’s strategic visit to the Persian Gulf creates an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s regional role, alongside the economic consequences.
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 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- Opinion: Any effort aimed at economic collapse of the coalition government is at first stage a kind of investment made by Saudi Arabia for the next Lebanese election in March 2022.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher, International Affairs
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: On 28 August 2021, Baghdad was host to one of the most important regional meetings entitled the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Guests participating in this one-day meeting included high-ranking officials from influential Arab and non-Arab states. The Baghdad conference was highly significant from two respects: first, the level and arrangement of participants that have deep differences bilaterally, trilaterally and on many aspects, second, the goals which were pursued in the meeting at domestic, regional and international levels.
Barsam Mohammadi—International issues analyst
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently issued a decree announcing the holding of parliamentary elections in that country on October 2. Although the election is considered a practice of democracy in a country with a tribal system, it challenges the approach of other tribal regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, rather than the real electoral aspects.
Hassan Hanizadeh – expert on the Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Former director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Middle East, while referring to the tensions in the relations between Riyadh and Beirut which resulted in the resignation of the Lebanese foreign minister, said if interests of Saudi Arabia are secured in the composition of the next Lebanese cabinet, the pressure would decrease and their policies will also change. Otherwise, he said, pressures will continue on Lebanon and they will create obstacles so as a stable government is not formed in Beirut.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs and assistant professor of international relations in the Human Sciences Research Center says relations between Baghdad and Riyadh have faced many highs and lows during the past several decades.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on geopolitical affairs commenting on NATO cooperation with Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf, said: Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia since their independence had been under British tutelage and were totally dependent on that country and after Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal, the United States replaced it. In fact, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf think that by setting up their bases Western countries would provide them with security, but this is not the case, as we see today that Saudi Arabia is the target of the Yemeni missiles.
Strategic Council Online – The US methods and incentives to sell arms to West Asia are more in line with building business for defense contractors than building security in West Asia.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on international affairs
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– Opinion: Erdogan’s strategic visit to the Persian Gulf creates an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s regional role, alongside the economic consequences.
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 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- Opinion: Any effort aimed at economic collapse of the coalition government is at first stage a kind of investment made by Saudi Arabia for the next Lebanese election in March 2022.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher, International Affairs
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: On 28 August 2021, Baghdad was host to one of the most important regional meetings entitled the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Guests participating in this one-day meeting included high-ranking officials from influential Arab and non-Arab states. The Baghdad conference was highly significant from two respects: first, the level and arrangement of participants that have deep differences bilaterally, trilaterally and on many aspects, second, the goals which were pursued in the meeting at domestic, regional and international levels.
Barsam Mohammadi—International issues analyst
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently issued a decree announcing the holding of parliamentary elections in that country on October 2. Although the election is considered a practice of democracy in a country with a tribal system, it challenges the approach of other tribal regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, rather than the real electoral aspects.
Hassan Hanizadeh – expert on the Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Former director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Middle East, while referring to the tensions in the relations between Riyadh and Beirut which resulted in the resignation of the Lebanese foreign minister, said if interests of Saudi Arabia are secured in the composition of the next Lebanese cabinet, the pressure would decrease and their policies will also change. Otherwise, he said, pressures will continue on Lebanon and they will create obstacles so as a stable government is not formed in Beirut.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs and assistant professor of international relations in the Human Sciences Research Center says relations between Baghdad and Riyadh have faced many highs and lows during the past several decades.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on geopolitical affairs commenting on NATO cooperation with Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf, said: Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia since their independence had been under British tutelage and were totally dependent on that country and after Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal, the United States replaced it. In fact, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf think that by setting up their bases Western countries would provide them with security, but this is not the case, as we see today that Saudi Arabia is the target of the Yemeni missiles.
Strategic Council Online – The US methods and incentives to sell arms to West Asia are more in line with building business for defense contractors than building security in West Asia.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on international affairs
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– Opinion: Erdogan’s strategic visit to the Persian Gulf creates an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s regional role, alongside the economic consequences.
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 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- Opinion: Any effort aimed at economic collapse of the coalition government is at first stage a kind of investment made by Saudi Arabia for the next Lebanese election in March 2022.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher, International Affairs
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: On 28 August 2021, Baghdad was host to one of the most important regional meetings entitled the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Guests participating in this one-day meeting included high-ranking officials from influential Arab and non-Arab states. The Baghdad conference was highly significant from two respects: first, the level and arrangement of participants that have deep differences bilaterally, trilaterally and on many aspects, second, the goals which were pursued in the meeting at domestic, regional and international levels.
Barsam Mohammadi—International issues analyst
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently issued a decree announcing the holding of parliamentary elections in that country on October 2. Although the election is considered a practice of democracy in a country with a tribal system, it challenges the approach of other tribal regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, rather than the real electoral aspects.
Hassan Hanizadeh – expert on the Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Former director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Middle East, while referring to the tensions in the relations between Riyadh and Beirut which resulted in the resignation of the Lebanese foreign minister, said if interests of Saudi Arabia are secured in the composition of the next Lebanese cabinet, the pressure would decrease and their policies will also change. Otherwise, he said, pressures will continue on Lebanon and they will create obstacles so as a stable government is not formed in Beirut.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs and assistant professor of international relations in the Human Sciences Research Center says relations between Baghdad and Riyadh have faced many highs and lows during the past several decades.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on geopolitical affairs commenting on NATO cooperation with Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf, said: Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia since their independence had been under British tutelage and were totally dependent on that country and after Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal, the United States replaced it. In fact, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf think that by setting up their bases Western countries would provide them with security, but this is not the case, as we see today that Saudi Arabia is the target of the Yemeni missiles.
Strategic Council Online – The US methods and incentives to sell arms to West Asia are more in line with building business for defense contractors than building security in West Asia.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on international affairs
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– Opinion: Erdogan’s strategic visit to the Persian Gulf creates an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s regional role, alongside the economic consequences.
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 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- Opinion: Any effort aimed at economic collapse of the coalition government is at first stage a kind of investment made by Saudi Arabia for the next Lebanese election in March 2022.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher, International Affairs
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: On 28 August 2021, Baghdad was host to one of the most important regional meetings entitled the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Guests participating in this one-day meeting included high-ranking officials from influential Arab and non-Arab states. The Baghdad conference was highly significant from two respects: first, the level and arrangement of participants that have deep differences bilaterally, trilaterally and on many aspects, second, the goals which were pursued in the meeting at domestic, regional and international levels.
Barsam Mohammadi—International issues analyst
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently issued a decree announcing the holding of parliamentary elections in that country on October 2. Although the election is considered a practice of democracy in a country with a tribal system, it challenges the approach of other tribal regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, rather than the real electoral aspects.
Hassan Hanizadeh – expert on the Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Former director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Middle East, while referring to the tensions in the relations between Riyadh and Beirut which resulted in the resignation of the Lebanese foreign minister, said if interests of Saudi Arabia are secured in the composition of the next Lebanese cabinet, the pressure would decrease and their policies will also change. Otherwise, he said, pressures will continue on Lebanon and they will create obstacles so as a stable government is not formed in Beirut.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs and assistant professor of international relations in the Human Sciences Research Center says relations between Baghdad and Riyadh have faced many highs and lows during the past several decades.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on geopolitical affairs commenting on NATO cooperation with Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf, said: Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia since their independence had been under British tutelage and were totally dependent on that country and after Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal, the United States replaced it. In fact, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf think that by setting up their bases Western countries would provide them with security, but this is not the case, as we see today that Saudi Arabia is the target of the Yemeni missiles.
Strategic Council Online – The US methods and incentives to sell arms to West Asia are more in line with building business for defense contractors than building security in West Asia.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on international affairs
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– Opinion: Erdogan’s strategic visit to the Persian Gulf creates an opportunity to strengthen Turkey’s regional role, alongside the economic consequences.
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 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- Opinion: Any effort aimed at economic collapse of the coalition government is at first stage a kind of investment made by Saudi Arabia for the next Lebanese election in March 2022.
Hossein Sayahi, Researcher, International Affairs
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: On 28 August 2021, Baghdad was host to one of the most important regional meetings entitled the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Guests participating in this one-day meeting included high-ranking officials from influential Arab and non-Arab states. The Baghdad conference was highly significant from two respects: first, the level and arrangement of participants that have deep differences bilaterally, trilaterally and on many aspects, second, the goals which were pursued in the meeting at domestic, regional and international levels.
Barsam Mohammadi—International issues analyst
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently issued a decree announcing the holding of parliamentary elections in that country on October 2. Although the election is considered a practice of democracy in a country with a tribal system, it challenges the approach of other tribal regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, rather than the real electoral aspects.
Hassan Hanizadeh – expert on the Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Former director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Middle East, while referring to the tensions in the relations between Riyadh and Beirut which resulted in the resignation of the Lebanese foreign minister, said if interests of Saudi Arabia are secured in the composition of the next Lebanese cabinet, the pressure would decrease and their policies will also change. Otherwise, he said, pressures will continue on Lebanon and they will create obstacles so as a stable government is not formed in Beirut.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Middle East affairs and assistant professor of international relations in the Human Sciences Research Center says relations between Baghdad and Riyadh have faced many highs and lows during the past several decades.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on geopolitical affairs commenting on NATO cooperation with Arab states, especially those in the Persian Gulf, said: Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia since their independence had been under British tutelage and were totally dependent on that country and after Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal, the United States replaced it. In fact, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf think that by setting up their bases Western countries would provide them with security, but this is not the case, as we see today that Saudi Arabia is the target of the Yemeni missiles.
Strategic Council Online – The US methods and incentives to sell arms to West Asia are more in line with building business for defense contractors than building security in West Asia.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on international affairs
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.