Indeed, Baghdad currently imports most of its energy needs from neighboring Iran, which has a disproportionate level of influence over Iraqi affairs and has infiltrated most of its political, economic, and security institutions leaving Iraq as a rump state servicing the needs of Tehran rather than the Iraqi people.
“Istanbul Is a Testing Ground for the Afghan Peace Talks”: An Interview with Heela Najibullah
Read: The Afghan Factor in Biden’s Iran Foreign PolicyQ.
Syria’s Tribal Politics Critical to the Country’s Future
The communique also condemned forced demographic change by the Assad regime and Iran.
An Insider Perspective on the Afghanistan Peace Talks
Read: The Afghan Factor in Biden’s Iran Foreign PolicyThe intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha were not instigated according to the expected schedule, but even with their late commencement, so far, the Taliban and the Afghan government have only been able to work on the agenda of the dialogue.
Brett McGurk: The Epitome of the Democrats’ Middle East Policy
Kobani followed up his meeting with McGurk by visiting the powerful commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds Force Major General Qasem Soleimani.
Where Does Libya Fit in Biden’s Foreign Policy Priorities?
Read: The Afghan Factor in Biden’s Iran Foreign Policy
Biden’s Foreign Policy Priorities
The Biden administration is working on reinvigorating America’s State Department, which suffered from an unprecedented level of resignations and long-term vacancies during the Trump administration, and on cultivating greater multilateral cooperation with allies that were often disregarded over the last four years.
India is Lobbying to Put Pakistan on FATF’s Black-list: Will it Succeed?
Only North Korea and Iran are in the current blacklist.
The Syrian Conflict 10 Years On: Who is in Control and What are the Possible Scenarios?
Here is the Syrian president, preparing for a fourth presidential term, and he survived the conflict with unlimited Russian and Iranian support, at a time when the Syrian opposition failed to offer an alternative to the regime.
The ICC vs. Israel: Three Main Scenarios
The question that must be asked: What are the possible future scenarios for the ICC probe in Palestine?
Where Do Gulf States Stand on Syria’s Decade-Old Conflict?
This anti-Ba’athist “revolution” was expected to mark a geopolitical setback to Iran.
Lebanon at Crossroad: Brain Drain and Freefall of the National Currency
Read: What Does Sectarianism Mean for Lebanese Society?
Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed political party with allegiances to Iran, has played an active role in the Syrian conflict as an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Pope’s Visit to Iraq: How the KRG Tainted Its Message of Hope
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The private conversation between Pope Francis and Ayatollah Sistani, however, also had a clear political message with some regional spillovers, especially regarding the relationship with neighboring Iran and its cross-border influence.
How the Cross-Border Tribes Living between Afghanistan and Pakistan Impact Regional Politics
Read: The Afghan Factor in Biden’s Iran Foreign PolicyFazal Wahid, a researcher and lecture at Peshawer University indicates that the inability of the United States to apply the carrot and stick strategy effectively in Afghanistan prompted Pakistan in 2003 to move its armed forces into KP in an impetuous manner, resulting in failure and the militarization of the tribal belt.
Peace Talks and Afghanistan’s Future: Three Scenarios
Apart from this, the Taliban has also received international recognition and openly forged with the regional powers: namely, Russia, China, and Iran.
What Will the Biden Administration’s Syria Policy Look Like?
attack targeting pro-Iranian Shia militia in Syria was discussed by a number of experts, namely Robert Ford, a former U.
Suicide Bombings in Iraq: A Return to Security Chaos?
forces, after the escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran through the Iran-supported militias in Iraq.
How Djibouti Surrounded Itself by Military Bases
Read: Piracy and the Global Military Presence in the Gulf of AdenMoreover, the fight against Al-Shabab in Somalia, counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, and the Saudi-Iran competition over Yemen have invited new global actors such as China and Japan which also seek to establish military bases in the country.
What Is China’s Endgame in Northern Iraq?
This refers not only to a geographical frame but also to the emergence of a new counterbalancing power against the West, Russia, and Turkey that will be led by China and Iran.
The Hezbollah Empire in Lebanon and the Assassination of Lokman Slim
Slim’s execution-style murder and the mystery that shrouds it has led to the simple conclusion that Hezbollah is responsible for silencing this furious and uncompromising voice against the Iranian militia’s hegemony over the Shiite cultural and public sphere, a hegemonic grip which Hezbollah extended to include different aspects of Lebanon’s non-existent state.
The PKK Is the Wrong Horse to Back in the Middle East
For instance, the support of Iran to Shia militias in the Middle East functions as a strong catalyst that enables Iran to project power in areas where it could normally not reach.