Online Strategic Council – Memoir: The swift selection of Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership constitutes a new phase in Iraq’s political sphere. Multiple factors have played a role in this process, the most important being the prevailing situation in Iraq and the region. Under such circumstances, Iraq requires a powerful and experienced prime minister who can keep the country away from the dangers of wars and crises.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Relations between some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China and Japan or China and Australia, which were previously relatively normal, are trending towards deterioration, and the primary reason for this is the aggressive policies of the United States of America.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs expert stated that the decline of the liberal international order began in 2008. Although the liberal international order still governs international relations, an order is emerging to replace it, based on competition among major powers.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The Ukraine war has become a new turning point in the political, security, and even commercial relations of allies on both sides of the Atlantic. While this war is nearing its fourth year, many questions still remain regarding its future and its consequences; among them, will the continuation of the Ukraine war lead to the collapse of the European security illusion?
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A European affairs expert believes that the seizure of Greenland will certainly weaken America’s relations with Europe and its allies. Donald Trump’s view is that he does not need these countries, but if Europe faces significant pressure from the United States, it is natural for it to move toward China.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Numerous documents and pieces of evidence indicate that ISIS, which in recent years has been the region’s biggest threat to security and stability after the Zionist regime, has once again in recent months become a focal point for political and security exploitation by American and Zionist regime security, intelligence, and political circles.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional affairs researcher stated: Despite projects such as the Khaf-Herat railway and the Herat-Balkh-Mazar-i-Sharif corridor being on the agenda, insecurity and the absence of an inclusive government remain the most significant obstacles to realizing transit corridors and Afghanistan playing an effective role in the economy of Eurasia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
Online Strategic Council – Memoir: The swift selection of Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership constitutes a new phase in Iraq’s political sphere. Multiple factors have played a role in this process, the most important being the prevailing situation in Iraq and the region. Under such circumstances, Iraq requires a powerful and experienced prime minister who can keep the country away from the dangers of wars and crises.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Relations between some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China and Japan or China and Australia, which were previously relatively normal, are trending towards deterioration, and the primary reason for this is the aggressive policies of the United States of America.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs expert stated that the decline of the liberal international order began in 2008. Although the liberal international order still governs international relations, an order is emerging to replace it, based on competition among major powers.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The Ukraine war has become a new turning point in the political, security, and even commercial relations of allies on both sides of the Atlantic. While this war is nearing its fourth year, many questions still remain regarding its future and its consequences; among them, will the continuation of the Ukraine war lead to the collapse of the European security illusion?
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A European affairs expert believes that the seizure of Greenland will certainly weaken America’s relations with Europe and its allies. Donald Trump’s view is that he does not need these countries, but if Europe faces significant pressure from the United States, it is natural for it to move toward China.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Numerous documents and pieces of evidence indicate that ISIS, which in recent years has been the region’s biggest threat to security and stability after the Zionist regime, has once again in recent months become a focal point for political and security exploitation by American and Zionist regime security, intelligence, and political circles.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional affairs researcher stated: Despite projects such as the Khaf-Herat railway and the Herat-Balkh-Mazar-i-Sharif corridor being on the agenda, insecurity and the absence of an inclusive government remain the most significant obstacles to realizing transit corridors and Afghanistan playing an effective role in the economy of Eurasia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
Online Strategic Council – Memoir: The swift selection of Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership constitutes a new phase in Iraq’s political sphere. Multiple factors have played a role in this process, the most important being the prevailing situation in Iraq and the region. Under such circumstances, Iraq requires a powerful and experienced prime minister who can keep the country away from the dangers of wars and crises.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Relations between some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China and Japan or China and Australia, which were previously relatively normal, are trending towards deterioration, and the primary reason for this is the aggressive policies of the United States of America.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs expert stated that the decline of the liberal international order began in 2008. Although the liberal international order still governs international relations, an order is emerging to replace it, based on competition among major powers.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The Ukraine war has become a new turning point in the political, security, and even commercial relations of allies on both sides of the Atlantic. While this war is nearing its fourth year, many questions still remain regarding its future and its consequences; among them, will the continuation of the Ukraine war lead to the collapse of the European security illusion?
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A European affairs expert believes that the seizure of Greenland will certainly weaken America’s relations with Europe and its allies. Donald Trump’s view is that he does not need these countries, but if Europe faces significant pressure from the United States, it is natural for it to move toward China.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Numerous documents and pieces of evidence indicate that ISIS, which in recent years has been the region’s biggest threat to security and stability after the Zionist regime, has once again in recent months become a focal point for political and security exploitation by American and Zionist regime security, intelligence, and political circles.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional affairs researcher stated: Despite projects such as the Khaf-Herat railway and the Herat-Balkh-Mazar-i-Sharif corridor being on the agenda, insecurity and the absence of an inclusive government remain the most significant obstacles to realizing transit corridors and Afghanistan playing an effective role in the economy of Eurasia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
Online Strategic Council – Memoir: The swift selection of Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership constitutes a new phase in Iraq’s political sphere. Multiple factors have played a role in this process, the most important being the prevailing situation in Iraq and the region. Under such circumstances, Iraq requires a powerful and experienced prime minister who can keep the country away from the dangers of wars and crises.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Relations between some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China and Japan or China and Australia, which were previously relatively normal, are trending towards deterioration, and the primary reason for this is the aggressive policies of the United States of America.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs expert stated that the decline of the liberal international order began in 2008. Although the liberal international order still governs international relations, an order is emerging to replace it, based on competition among major powers.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The Ukraine war has become a new turning point in the political, security, and even commercial relations of allies on both sides of the Atlantic. While this war is nearing its fourth year, many questions still remain regarding its future and its consequences; among them, will the continuation of the Ukraine war lead to the collapse of the European security illusion?
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A European affairs expert believes that the seizure of Greenland will certainly weaken America’s relations with Europe and its allies. Donald Trump’s view is that he does not need these countries, but if Europe faces significant pressure from the United States, it is natural for it to move toward China.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Numerous documents and pieces of evidence indicate that ISIS, which in recent years has been the region’s biggest threat to security and stability after the Zionist regime, has once again in recent months become a focal point for political and security exploitation by American and Zionist regime security, intelligence, and political circles.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional affairs researcher stated: Despite projects such as the Khaf-Herat railway and the Herat-Balkh-Mazar-i-Sharif corridor being on the agenda, insecurity and the absence of an inclusive government remain the most significant obstacles to realizing transit corridors and Afghanistan playing an effective role in the economy of Eurasia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
Online Strategic Council – Memoir: The swift selection of Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership constitutes a new phase in Iraq’s political sphere. Multiple factors have played a role in this process, the most important being the prevailing situation in Iraq and the region. Under such circumstances, Iraq requires a powerful and experienced prime minister who can keep the country away from the dangers of wars and crises.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Relations between some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China and Japan or China and Australia, which were previously relatively normal, are trending towards deterioration, and the primary reason for this is the aggressive policies of the United States of America.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An international affairs expert stated that the decline of the liberal international order began in 2008. Although the liberal international order still governs international relations, an order is emerging to replace it, based on competition among major powers.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The Ukraine war has become a new turning point in the political, security, and even commercial relations of allies on both sides of the Atlantic. While this war is nearing its fourth year, many questions still remain regarding its future and its consequences; among them, will the continuation of the Ukraine war lead to the collapse of the European security illusion?
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A European affairs expert believes that the seizure of Greenland will certainly weaken America’s relations with Europe and its allies. Donald Trump’s view is that he does not need these countries, but if Europe faces significant pressure from the United States, it is natural for it to move toward China.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Numerous documents and pieces of evidence indicate that ISIS, which in recent years has been the region’s biggest threat to security and stability after the Zionist regime, has once again in recent months become a focal point for political and security exploitation by American and Zionist regime security, intelligence, and political circles.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A regional affairs researcher stated: Despite projects such as the Khaf-Herat railway and the Herat-Balkh-Mazar-i-Sharif corridor being on the agenda, insecurity and the absence of an inclusive government remain the most significant obstacles to realizing transit corridors and Afghanistan playing an effective role in the economy of Eurasia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: New U.S. moves to sell F-35s to Turkey and Saudi Arabia have seriously challenged the regional air balance and intensified the security concerns of the Zionist regime.