Category Archives: Middle East
Saudi Arabia calls out US bluster
By M. K. Bhadrakumar Saudi Arabia has politely but firmly rebutted the threats and calumnies levelled by the US political elites in the past week since the OPEC decided to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day. On
Is Saudi buying its way out of justice for Khashoggi murder?
Turkey, economically squeezed and looking to mend ties, suddenly turns the case over to Riyadh By Annelle Sheline President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has decided to sacrifice Turkish efforts to seek justice for the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal
Iran – backed Houthis the winner in Yemen
With a ceasefire agreement in place, the Houthis hold the high ground in any long-term deal made in Yemen By Interaction Desk These are early days and Yemen has witnessed many a ceasefire in its tortuous civil war that started
Saudi Arabian Army Chief visits India
Is there a hidden agenda behind this visit? By Saleem Akhtar Malik The Saudi Arabian army chief paid a “historic and landmark” first visit India this week, the Indian Ministry of Defence said. According to a statement issued by the
The beginning of the end for the Saudi-Led coalition in Yemen
UAE, Saudi, and affiliated local forces have begun withdrawing from locations across southern and western Yemen; while couched as “redeployments,” together the moves suggest the Saudi-led coalition is actively looking for an exit strategy By Gregory D. Johnsen November was
Israeli defense officials cast doubt on threat to attack Iran
Israel has threatened military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program if need be But defense officials say Israel does not have the ability, at least not anytime soon By Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley With diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s
Iran’s SCO membership is a big deal
By M. K. Bhadrakumar Like in a Wagnerian music drama, there is an associated melodic theme that accompanies the situations behind the two big regional developments last week the announcement of the AUKUS, security alliance of three “maritime democracies” on
Sound and Fury in the Post – 9/11 Middle East
In the end, years of upheaval led only to despair By Shadi Hamid Americans tend to lament 9/11 and its long aftermath by looking inward at what they and their country lost in the “war on terror.” And it is
Iran’s SCO membership is a big deal
By M. K. Bhadrakumar Like in a Wagnerian music drama, there is an associated melodic theme that accompanies the situations behind the two big regional developments last week the announcement of the AUKUS, security alliance of three “maritime democracies” on
Israel-Palestine conflict at inflection point
History of flare-ups is likely to repeat as key new differences have emerged between Israelis and Arabs By M. K. Bhadrakumar The well-known French philosopher, writer and political activist, late Paul-Michel Foucault has written about a conversation he had with