The recent outbreak of open conflict between Iran and Israel has upended the notional strategic stability of the ‘shadow war’ between the two, and it is possible that a return to the status quo will be harder to achieve than expected.
“The idea struck me to introduce the concept of a fatwa [during the 2004 nuclear] negotiations. There was no coordination [in advance],” Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator at the time recounted eight years after the incident. This was nothing short of a stroke of genius in shaping a false narrative about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, which was delivered by a cleric who eventually rose in the ranks and became a two-term president (2013–2021): Hassan Rouhani.
Amid escalating regional tensions since October 7 last year and reports of American contemplations of troop withdrawal from Syria, the US administration should reassess its Syria policy, and consider a long-term, minimalist presence coupled with robust political and diplomatic efforts in the interest of regional security and peace.
The Islamic State (IS) is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group. At its 2015 height, the group controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria from which it launched attacks in the region and beyond. While the group no longer controls territory outright in Syria and Iraq, U.S. military officials warn that it continues to operate and has worked to expand its global presence through affiliates in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Ghassan Abu Sitta est un chirurgien de guerre britanico-palestinien de 55 ans qui a été élu le 24 mars dernier avec 80% des suffrages exprimés par les étudiants, recteur de l’université de Glasgow, la 4ème plus ancienne du monde. En 2021, il est chargé de cours au Centre for Blast Injury Studies de l’Imperial College de Londres. Il est connu pour avoir apporté à plusieurs reprises une assistance médicale humanitaire en tant que chirurgien dans plusieurs zones de guerre : en Irak, au Liban, en Syrie, au Yémen et bien sûr dans les hôpitaux de la bande de Gaza après chaque bombardement meurtrier israélien consécutif aux révoltes palestiniennes de 1989 à nos jours.
Les commentateurs de la guerre et de la paix se demandent souvent pourquoi la Russie et la Chine tolèrent que les États-Unis mènent autant d’activités terroristes, de guerres hybrides ou de changements de régime dans les pays du monde qui ne se soumettent pas aux règles occidentales. En ce qui concerne l’Ukraine, les critiques accusent la Russie de se battre avec la proverbiale «main dans le dos» au lieu de riposter durement contre les puissances occidentales qui sont réellement à l’origine des activités terroristes menées sur le sol russe par des agents ukrainiens mandatés.
Iran’s Encirclement of Israel, Control of Red Sea, Almost Complete
While the Biden administration is preoccupied trying to win re-election this November, as well as putting out a series of fires it helped start in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, a new area of urgent concern, largely flying under the public’s radar, has been brewing: Iran’s increasing penetration of Sudan.
“Hamas sees Western countries such as Germany as a refuge in which the organization can concentrate on collecting donations, recruiting new supporters, and spreading its propaganda.” — Germany’s domestic intelligence service, apnews.com, November 23, 2023.
In February, Belgium’s justice minister confirmed that Hamas operates in Brussels… through a network of front companies raising funds for the terrorist organization… Belgian authorities nevertheless continue to allow Hamas to operate there.
Latest Developments
Israel’s attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, greenlit the closure of Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera’s Israel-based news operations on May 2, allowing the Israeli cabinet to bring the measure to a vote. If passed, the measure will suspend Al-Jazeera broadcasts on Israeli platforms, block access to Al-Jazeera’s websites, and force Al-Jazeera to close its offices in Israel.
ISKP’s retooling from regional operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan to a focus on external attacks and operational plots has resulted in a surge of both foiled plots and successful attacks.
The Islamic State attack on the Crocus City Hall music venue on the outskirts of Moscow, which killed at least 140 people and injured over 500 more, has prompted significant alarm among Western intelligence and security services about similar operations occurring in Europe and North America in the coming months. This concern is well-founded, given the aggressive campaign by the organization, its Afghanistan-Pakistan-based Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), and pro-IS propaganda outlets threatening attacks and urging supporters to carry out acts of violence against the West – with a particular emphasis on sporting events.