Category Archives: Iran

April 15, 2012 · 17:47

This is Our Gulf: The Legacy of the Abu Musa and the Tunbs Dispute

Commentary by Bart Hesseling - 15 April 2012

Bahr-e Fars: A clear Iranian message on a football pitch in Abu Musa (source: Google Maps)

The recent visit by president Ahmadinejad of Iran to the disputed island of Abu Musa, the first by an Iranian head of state since Hashemi Rafsanjani in 1992, set off a storm of protest in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE recalled its ambassador from Tehran and even convened a special session of the GCC council of foreign ministers. The dispute over Abu Musa and the two Tunbs has become a symbol of Arab-Iranian enmity and, along with the occasional spats over the denomination of the Gulf (Arabian vs. Persian), provides a convenient way for both Iran and the Arab Gulf states to close ranks. Continue reading →

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Tagged as Abu Musa, Arab Gulf, Bart Hesseling, GCC, Iran, Persian Gulf, Tunbs

March 11, 2012 · 17:17

Little Hope for Iran as Green Movement Fades Away

Commentary by Behrooz Vosooghi* – 11 March 2012

"Grandpa says no action is necessary, you just need to put a mirror above each voting box". Source: mardomak.org

It was in June 2009 when an estimated 3 million people marched toward Azadi square in Tehran, showing their opposition to the result of the Islamic Republic’s tenth presidential election. Ever since hundreds of men and women were killed either in the streets or in prisons, thousands more have been imprisoned and tortured, and political leaders have been made to confess before millions of TV viewers. The Islamic regime has sustained the crackdown it first adopted against the opposition. Some people wonder what drove the Green Movement into isolation this fast? I here offer a few reasons for this. Continue reading →

The Saudi Arabian Porcupine and the Spring in the Desert

By Riccardo Dugulin – 10 December 2011

Source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/

In the course of the first weeks of autumn, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia went through a number of events which largely altered its perception of the regional strategic balance. On October 8th President Ali Abdallah Saleh stated once more he would leave power in ‘coming days’ amid further protests and violence in Yemen. On October 12, an alleged terrorist plot lead by Iranian secret agents was unfolded in Washington as a hit squad was preparing the assassination of Adel Al Jubeir, Saudi Ambassador to the US. On October 21st President Obama declared that all US troops will be leaving Iraq by January 2012, thus leaving the Iraqi armed forces as the only responsible for the sovereignty and security of their country. On October 22, Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud died. At the age of 80, he had been the longest serving minister of defense and Crown Prince since 2005. Continue reading →

A War for Nothing? The Gloomy Aftermath of America’s Withdrawal from Iraq

Commentary by Riccardo Dugulin – 5 November 2011

Source: http://www.salon.com/

The start of the Iraq war in 2003, with all the protests that it sparked, the diplomatic ballet that it unleashed, and the dictator that it toppled, is an event that marked a generation. Chances are that the end of the US military mission in Mesopotamia, marking the last stop of Washington’s second longest armed engagement to date, will not stir as much attention. Victory during WWII had its imagery and so did the US’s defeat in Vietnam. Iraq will most probably fade away. Moqtada Al Sadr promised that there won’t be any major attack on US troops while they are leaving Iraq. Aside from the incidental threat posed by Al Qaeda in the region, US servicemen and servicewomen should not expect any widespread violence as they prepare their drawdown after more than eight years of engagement. Continue reading →

كبش المحرقة

بقلم أسامة حريري - ٢٧ آب ٢٠١١

شهدت الأيّام الأخيرة سلسلة أحداث هزّت منطقة الشّرق الأوسط وأعلنت بداية سيناريو جديد. للوهلة الأولى ، قد تبدو هذه الأحداث عشوائيّة وغير مترابطة. لكن قي الواقع هي متّصلة ببعضها البعض وهدفها واحد. أماّ السّؤال الأبرز الذي يهمّنا هو : من هو المستفيد من هذه الفوضى المنظّمة ؟ ولماذا هذا التوقيت بالذات ؟ من الواضح جدّا ً اليوم أنّ أبرز الأزمات وأكثرها تعقيدا ً هي الأزمة التي تشهدها سوريا نظرا ً لموقعها الإستراتيجي بين العراق وتركيا ولبنان و إسرائيل. الأزمة في سوريا لم تعد تقتصر على نظام ٍ مستبدّ يقتل شعبه يوميا ً ، بل أيضا ً على لعبة دول ٍ كُبرى تتصارع في ما بينها . أحد أوجه هذا الصّراع هو إيراني –أميركي. Continue reading →