Protestors in an anti-Israeli gathering hold up Iranian and Palestinian flags, Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025 Why did Israel jump the gun? The Israeli Defence Forces called the aerial attack on Iran by some 200 planes in the early hours of Friday, June 13, as a “preemptive strike.” International law gives no scope to attack …
Trump’s moving finger writes on Gulf — and having writ, moves on to India-Pakistan
US President Donald Trump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Royal Palace, Riyadh, May 13, 2025 President Donald Trump is already looming as a Colossus striding 21st century history. Acutely conscious that he’s left with less than four years to create his legacy Trump is undoubtedly a man in a hurry. Amazingly, his agenda in the …
Trump’s diplomacy gains traction, silences sceptics
US President Donald Trump (L) met privately with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at St. Peter’s Basilica on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral, Vatican, April 26, 2025 The US President Donald Trump is a lone ranger in international arena and a self-confessed practitioner of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absolute maxim that ours is not …
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Talk of US-Iran war is all a load of baloney
The US special envoy for Middle East Steve Witkoff has disclosed that Tehran has made back channel contacts following a recent letter from President Trump (L) addressed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) suggesting talks. The air is thick with the prognosis that a military confrontation between the US and Iran is now …
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Trump turn is bad news for West Asia
Palestinians make their way back to their homes in the ruins of Gaza On February 4, the international community will get to see President Donald Trump wading into the midstream of West Asia’s crisis, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters the Oval Office hoping for an opportunity to shape US regional policy. Do you …
Trump bends the arc of history in West Asia – Part II
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (R) met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tel Aviv, January 11, 2025 Trump frogmarches Netanyahu down the deep stairs President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and their key operative in the White House, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, hopelessly underestimated President-elect Donald Trump’s quick reflex action to demolish their …
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Winners and losers in Syria
Ali Larijani, advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Damascus, December, 6, 2024 Iran and Russia are the two big losers in the ouster of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday by the Sunni Islamist groups affiliated to al-Qaeda. Assad fled in the nick of time after giving orders that there be …
The Arabs are transparently displaying their crossover to multi-alignment in a US-led Middle Eastern war
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince, (R), received Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Riyadh, Oct. 9, 2024 Reuters reported on Friday quoting three sources in the Persian Gulf that the regional states are lobbying Washington to stop Israel from attacking Iran’s oil sites as “part of their attempts to avoid being caught in the …
Russia has some lessons in democracy
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) congratulated the head of Russia’s Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov on his 80th birthday when he received the Hero of Labour title, Moscow, June 26, 2024 We recently witnessed the pathetic sight that even after 7 decades of independence and experience as a democracy where hundreds of millions of people genuinely feel empowered, …
Russia’s post-war dilemmas in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed a meeting of senior diplomats of the foreign ministry, Moscow, June 14, 2024 In regard of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s main challenge going forward is to find the equilibrium between strategic overestimation and underestimation. “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate …