SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: Normalization of Iran-Saudi relations with China’s mediation, which is an indication of Beijing’s more significant influence and role in new regional trends in the Middle East, increased speculations about the possibility of changes in the geostrategy of other powers.
Abbas Aslani – Expert on international relations
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: With the holding of the national elections in Greece on May 21, although the winning party announced priorities of its future government to be mainly improvement of the economic situation, the continuation of the national policy in foreign relations, security, and immigration would be most important challenges for this EU and NATO member country. Although the new leaders defend the continuation of the foreign and defense policy, strengthening of the country’s armed forces, creation of solid alliances, and development of the weapons program over the past four years, they differ in the field of energy exploration, the militarization of some islands in the Aegean Sea, and the issue of refugees.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher on Afghanistan affairs, criticizing the weak role and performance of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan, emphasized: The difference of views, heterogeneous and different performances of countries regarding Afghanistan, along with the weak role of the United Nations, have completed the cycle of failure and in this situation, with the increasing risk of isolation of the Taliban, their leadership is gaining more power.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on Asian issues considered the tripartite meeting in Islamabad regarding Afghanistan as another Chinese initiative to establish peace and stability in the region by using economic tools, adding that this meeting arose from the security concerns of Pakistan and China concerning the realization of their political and economic interests in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: After the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created a wave of positive developments in the region and encouraged other Persian Gulf countries to resume or strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, now the news indicates that Iran and Egypt with the mediation of Iraq are trying to resume diplomatic relations.
Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri—University scholar
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former official in charge of Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: Iranian people are witnessing the high and unusual presence of Afghan refugees, adding that vigilance is needed concerning their presence in the strategic context of cities, as well as to the possibility of targeted organization and possible use of them against the interests and security of Iran.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: We need to have a “Strong Region” comprised of “Strong Actors.” Our security and economy depend on the strength of each of us and the strength of the entire region.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: Normalization of Iran-Saudi relations with China’s mediation, which is an indication of Beijing’s more significant influence and role in new regional trends in the Middle East, increased speculations about the possibility of changes in the geostrategy of other powers.
Abbas Aslani – Expert on international relations
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: With the holding of the national elections in Greece on May 21, although the winning party announced priorities of its future government to be mainly improvement of the economic situation, the continuation of the national policy in foreign relations, security, and immigration would be most important challenges for this EU and NATO member country. Although the new leaders defend the continuation of the foreign and defense policy, strengthening of the country’s armed forces, creation of solid alliances, and development of the weapons program over the past four years, they differ in the field of energy exploration, the militarization of some islands in the Aegean Sea, and the issue of refugees.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher on Afghanistan affairs, criticizing the weak role and performance of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan, emphasized: The difference of views, heterogeneous and different performances of countries regarding Afghanistan, along with the weak role of the United Nations, have completed the cycle of failure and in this situation, with the increasing risk of isolation of the Taliban, their leadership is gaining more power.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on Asian issues considered the tripartite meeting in Islamabad regarding Afghanistan as another Chinese initiative to establish peace and stability in the region by using economic tools, adding that this meeting arose from the security concerns of Pakistan and China concerning the realization of their political and economic interests in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: After the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created a wave of positive developments in the region and encouraged other Persian Gulf countries to resume or strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, now the news indicates that Iran and Egypt with the mediation of Iraq are trying to resume diplomatic relations.
Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri—University scholar
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former official in charge of Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: Iranian people are witnessing the high and unusual presence of Afghan refugees, adding that vigilance is needed concerning their presence in the strategic context of cities, as well as to the possibility of targeted organization and possible use of them against the interests and security of Iran.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: We need to have a “Strong Region” comprised of “Strong Actors.” Our security and economy depend on the strength of each of us and the strength of the entire region.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: Normalization of Iran-Saudi relations with China’s mediation, which is an indication of Beijing’s more significant influence and role in new regional trends in the Middle East, increased speculations about the possibility of changes in the geostrategy of other powers.
Abbas Aslani – Expert on international relations
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: With the holding of the national elections in Greece on May 21, although the winning party announced priorities of its future government to be mainly improvement of the economic situation, the continuation of the national policy in foreign relations, security, and immigration would be most important challenges for this EU and NATO member country. Although the new leaders defend the continuation of the foreign and defense policy, strengthening of the country’s armed forces, creation of solid alliances, and development of the weapons program over the past four years, they differ in the field of energy exploration, the militarization of some islands in the Aegean Sea, and the issue of refugees.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher on Afghanistan affairs, criticizing the weak role and performance of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan, emphasized: The difference of views, heterogeneous and different performances of countries regarding Afghanistan, along with the weak role of the United Nations, have completed the cycle of failure and in this situation, with the increasing risk of isolation of the Taliban, their leadership is gaining more power.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on Asian issues considered the tripartite meeting in Islamabad regarding Afghanistan as another Chinese initiative to establish peace and stability in the region by using economic tools, adding that this meeting arose from the security concerns of Pakistan and China concerning the realization of their political and economic interests in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: After the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created a wave of positive developments in the region and encouraged other Persian Gulf countries to resume or strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, now the news indicates that Iran and Egypt with the mediation of Iraq are trying to resume diplomatic relations.
Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri—University scholar
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former official in charge of Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: Iranian people are witnessing the high and unusual presence of Afghan refugees, adding that vigilance is needed concerning their presence in the strategic context of cities, as well as to the possibility of targeted organization and possible use of them against the interests and security of Iran.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: We need to have a “Strong Region” comprised of “Strong Actors.” Our security and economy depend on the strength of each of us and the strength of the entire region.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: Normalization of Iran-Saudi relations with China’s mediation, which is an indication of Beijing’s more significant influence and role in new regional trends in the Middle East, increased speculations about the possibility of changes in the geostrategy of other powers.
Abbas Aslani – Expert on international relations
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: With the holding of the national elections in Greece on May 21, although the winning party announced priorities of its future government to be mainly improvement of the economic situation, the continuation of the national policy in foreign relations, security, and immigration would be most important challenges for this EU and NATO member country. Although the new leaders defend the continuation of the foreign and defense policy, strengthening of the country’s armed forces, creation of solid alliances, and development of the weapons program over the past four years, they differ in the field of energy exploration, the militarization of some islands in the Aegean Sea, and the issue of refugees.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher on Afghanistan affairs, criticizing the weak role and performance of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan, emphasized: The difference of views, heterogeneous and different performances of countries regarding Afghanistan, along with the weak role of the United Nations, have completed the cycle of failure and in this situation, with the increasing risk of isolation of the Taliban, their leadership is gaining more power.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on Asian issues considered the tripartite meeting in Islamabad regarding Afghanistan as another Chinese initiative to establish peace and stability in the region by using economic tools, adding that this meeting arose from the security concerns of Pakistan and China concerning the realization of their political and economic interests in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: After the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created a wave of positive developments in the region and encouraged other Persian Gulf countries to resume or strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, now the news indicates that Iran and Egypt with the mediation of Iraq are trying to resume diplomatic relations.
Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri—University scholar
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former official in charge of Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: Iranian people are witnessing the high and unusual presence of Afghan refugees, adding that vigilance is needed concerning their presence in the strategic context of cities, as well as to the possibility of targeted organization and possible use of them against the interests and security of Iran.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: We need to have a “Strong Region” comprised of “Strong Actors.” Our security and economy depend on the strength of each of us and the strength of the entire region.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: Normalization of Iran-Saudi relations with China’s mediation, which is an indication of Beijing’s more significant influence and role in new regional trends in the Middle East, increased speculations about the possibility of changes in the geostrategy of other powers.
Abbas Aslani – Expert on international relations
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: With the holding of the national elections in Greece on May 21, although the winning party announced priorities of its future government to be mainly improvement of the economic situation, the continuation of the national policy in foreign relations, security, and immigration would be most important challenges for this EU and NATO member country. Although the new leaders defend the continuation of the foreign and defense policy, strengthening of the country’s armed forces, creation of solid alliances, and development of the weapons program over the past four years, they differ in the field of energy exploration, the militarization of some islands in the Aegean Sea, and the issue of refugees.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher on Afghanistan affairs, criticizing the weak role and performance of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan, emphasized: The difference of views, heterogeneous and different performances of countries regarding Afghanistan, along with the weak role of the United Nations, have completed the cycle of failure and in this situation, with the increasing risk of isolation of the Taliban, their leadership is gaining more power.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on Asian issues considered the tripartite meeting in Islamabad regarding Afghanistan as another Chinese initiative to establish peace and stability in the region by using economic tools, adding that this meeting arose from the security concerns of Pakistan and China concerning the realization of their political and economic interests in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: After the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created a wave of positive developments in the region and encouraged other Persian Gulf countries to resume or strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, now the news indicates that Iran and Egypt with the mediation of Iraq are trying to resume diplomatic relations.
Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri—University scholar
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former official in charge of Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: Iranian people are witnessing the high and unusual presence of Afghan refugees, adding that vigilance is needed concerning their presence in the strategic context of cities, as well as to the possibility of targeted organization and possible use of them against the interests and security of Iran.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: We need to have a “Strong Region” comprised of “Strong Actors.” Our security and economy depend on the strength of each of us and the strength of the entire region.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: Normalization of Iran-Saudi relations with China’s mediation, which is an indication of Beijing’s more significant influence and role in new regional trends in the Middle East, increased speculations about the possibility of changes in the geostrategy of other powers.
Abbas Aslani – Expert on international relations
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: With the holding of the national elections in Greece on May 21, although the winning party announced priorities of its future government to be mainly improvement of the economic situation, the continuation of the national policy in foreign relations, security, and immigration would be most important challenges for this EU and NATO member country. Although the new leaders defend the continuation of the foreign and defense policy, strengthening of the country’s armed forces, creation of solid alliances, and development of the weapons program over the past four years, they differ in the field of energy exploration, the militarization of some islands in the Aegean Sea, and the issue of refugees.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher on Afghanistan affairs, criticizing the weak role and performance of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan, emphasized: The difference of views, heterogeneous and different performances of countries regarding Afghanistan, along with the weak role of the United Nations, have completed the cycle of failure and in this situation, with the increasing risk of isolation of the Taliban, their leadership is gaining more power.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on Asian issues considered the tripartite meeting in Islamabad regarding Afghanistan as another Chinese initiative to establish peace and stability in the region by using economic tools, adding that this meeting arose from the security concerns of Pakistan and China concerning the realization of their political and economic interests in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: After the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created a wave of positive developments in the region and encouraged other Persian Gulf countries to resume or strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, now the news indicates that Iran and Egypt with the mediation of Iraq are trying to resume diplomatic relations.
Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri—University scholar
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former official in charge of Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: Iranian people are witnessing the high and unusual presence of Afghan refugees, adding that vigilance is needed concerning their presence in the strategic context of cities, as well as to the possibility of targeted organization and possible use of them against the interests and security of Iran.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: We need to have a “Strong Region” comprised of “Strong Actors.” Our security and economy depend on the strength of each of us and the strength of the entire region.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: Normalization of Iran-Saudi relations with China’s mediation, which is an indication of Beijing’s more significant influence and role in new regional trends in the Middle East, increased speculations about the possibility of changes in the geostrategy of other powers.
Abbas Aslani – Expert on international relations
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: With the holding of the national elections in Greece on May 21, although the winning party announced priorities of its future government to be mainly improvement of the economic situation, the continuation of the national policy in foreign relations, security, and immigration would be most important challenges for this EU and NATO member country. Although the new leaders defend the continuation of the foreign and defense policy, strengthening of the country’s armed forces, creation of solid alliances, and development of the weapons program over the past four years, they differ in the field of energy exploration, the militarization of some islands in the Aegean Sea, and the issue of refugees.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher on Afghanistan affairs, criticizing the weak role and performance of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan, emphasized: The difference of views, heterogeneous and different performances of countries regarding Afghanistan, along with the weak role of the United Nations, have completed the cycle of failure and in this situation, with the increasing risk of isolation of the Taliban, their leadership is gaining more power.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on Asian issues considered the tripartite meeting in Islamabad regarding Afghanistan as another Chinese initiative to establish peace and stability in the region by using economic tools, adding that this meeting arose from the security concerns of Pakistan and China concerning the realization of their political and economic interests in Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online-Opinion: After the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created a wave of positive developments in the region and encouraged other Persian Gulf countries to resume or strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, now the news indicates that Iran and Egypt with the mediation of Iraq are trying to resume diplomatic relations.
Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri—University scholar
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Former official in charge of Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: Iranian people are witnessing the high and unusual presence of Afghan refugees, adding that vigilance is needed concerning their presence in the strategic context of cities, as well as to the possibility of targeted organization and possible use of them against the interests and security of Iran.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Middle East affairs commenting on the process of rapprochement of the Arabs and Syria and the developments that have taken place in this regard, said: Normalization of the relations of Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria, on the one hand, is due to global developments, especially the war in Ukraine and the US focus on that war and, the other, returns to the change in the policies of Riyadh.
Strategic Council Online: The President of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: We need to have a “Strong Region” comprised of “Strong Actors.” Our security and economy depend on the strength of each of us and the strength of the entire region.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.