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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections indicates Washington’s inability to achieve its war objectives.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: At the end of his recent trip to China, French President Emmanuel Macron made critical comments about the “strategic independence” of the European Union, which is noteworthy.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Director of the Yemen Desk at Mersad Research Institute said that in the current situation, the ceasefire, which is tantamount to the end of the Saudi military aggression, should be considered a fixed issue. He further emphasized: But the end of the internal conflict between the Yemeni groups concerning the partly conflicting interests of those groups and the support of the rival regional parties does not seem to be very accessible for such a capacity to develop their interests in the vital region of Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs, saying that the victory of each of the candidates in the upcoming Turkish elections brings opportunities and threats in the field of foreign relations, emphasized: If the Nation Alliance wins the elections in Turkey, naturally Ankara’s regional ambitions will decrease, and this issue will leave its impacts on Iran-Turkey relations as well.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on the issues of the Zionist regime, calling the horizon ahead of the Zionist regime vague and dark, emphasized that cohesion in the occupied territories is deteriorating, and this issue has affected the strategic approach of the regime.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: A European affairs expert stated that the European Union could not ignore China but at the same time tries not to be utterly dependent on it, saying that we are witnessing a new era of relations between Paris and Beijing, in which China is trying to make France an influencer of itself in the European Union.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The associate professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, while explaining Moscow’s targets and challenges in implementing its new foreign policy strategy document, said: Russia’s desire to shape the new structures and norms in the international system is not a simple task; meanwhile, in this case too, Moscow’s strategy has its contradictions.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: During his two-day trip to Brussels and participation in the European Council meeting, Cypriot President Christodoulides evaluated the meeting with his European counterparts and some EU leaders positively and emphasized the greater involvement of the European Union in negotiations to solve the problem of Cyprus. Without going into the details of the road map for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, he called for the European Union’s more assertive role. The European Union can provide initiatives and incentives to attract better Turkey’s positive stance to resolving Cyprus.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: The normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, despite several decades of tension in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, has created new speculations about the prospects of ties between the two countries. Despite many controversial cases between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there are many fears and hopes about the results of the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh and its effects and regional consequences. Still, with the current conditions, it seems that the drivers are effective in improving the atmosphere of cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and solving regional issues is stronger than the challenges and doubts in this regard.
Abbas Aslani – International affairs expert
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections indicates Washington’s inability to achieve its war objectives.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: At the end of his recent trip to China, French President Emmanuel Macron made critical comments about the “strategic independence” of the European Union, which is noteworthy.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Director of the Yemen Desk at Mersad Research Institute said that in the current situation, the ceasefire, which is tantamount to the end of the Saudi military aggression, should be considered a fixed issue. He further emphasized: But the end of the internal conflict between the Yemeni groups concerning the partly conflicting interests of those groups and the support of the rival regional parties does not seem to be very accessible for such a capacity to develop their interests in the vital region of Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs, saying that the victory of each of the candidates in the upcoming Turkish elections brings opportunities and threats in the field of foreign relations, emphasized: If the Nation Alliance wins the elections in Turkey, naturally Ankara’s regional ambitions will decrease, and this issue will leave its impacts on Iran-Turkey relations as well.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on the issues of the Zionist regime, calling the horizon ahead of the Zionist regime vague and dark, emphasized that cohesion in the occupied territories is deteriorating, and this issue has affected the strategic approach of the regime.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: A European affairs expert stated that the European Union could not ignore China but at the same time tries not to be utterly dependent on it, saying that we are witnessing a new era of relations between Paris and Beijing, in which China is trying to make France an influencer of itself in the European Union.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The associate professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, while explaining Moscow’s targets and challenges in implementing its new foreign policy strategy document, said: Russia’s desire to shape the new structures and norms in the international system is not a simple task; meanwhile, in this case too, Moscow’s strategy has its contradictions.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: During his two-day trip to Brussels and participation in the European Council meeting, Cypriot President Christodoulides evaluated the meeting with his European counterparts and some EU leaders positively and emphasized the greater involvement of the European Union in negotiations to solve the problem of Cyprus. Without going into the details of the road map for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, he called for the European Union’s more assertive role. The European Union can provide initiatives and incentives to attract better Turkey’s positive stance to resolving Cyprus.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: The normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, despite several decades of tension in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, has created new speculations about the prospects of ties between the two countries. Despite many controversial cases between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there are many fears and hopes about the results of the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh and its effects and regional consequences. Still, with the current conditions, it seems that the drivers are effective in improving the atmosphere of cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and solving regional issues is stronger than the challenges and doubts in this regard.
Abbas Aslani – International affairs expert
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: At the end of his recent trip to China, French President Emmanuel Macron made critical comments about the “strategic independence” of the European Union, which is noteworthy.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Director of the Yemen Desk at Mersad Research Institute said that in the current situation, the ceasefire, which is tantamount to the end of the Saudi military aggression, should be considered a fixed issue. He further emphasized: But the end of the internal conflict between the Yemeni groups concerning the partly conflicting interests of those groups and the support of the rival regional parties does not seem to be very accessible for such a capacity to develop their interests in the vital region of Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs, saying that the victory of each of the candidates in the upcoming Turkish elections brings opportunities and threats in the field of foreign relations, emphasized: If the Nation Alliance wins the elections in Turkey, naturally Ankara’s regional ambitions will decrease, and this issue will leave its impacts on Iran-Turkey relations as well.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on the issues of the Zionist regime, calling the horizon ahead of the Zionist regime vague and dark, emphasized that cohesion in the occupied territories is deteriorating, and this issue has affected the strategic approach of the regime.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: A European affairs expert stated that the European Union could not ignore China but at the same time tries not to be utterly dependent on it, saying that we are witnessing a new era of relations between Paris and Beijing, in which China is trying to make France an influencer of itself in the European Union.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The associate professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, while explaining Moscow’s targets and challenges in implementing its new foreign policy strategy document, said: Russia’s desire to shape the new structures and norms in the international system is not a simple task; meanwhile, in this case too, Moscow’s strategy has its contradictions.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: During his two-day trip to Brussels and participation in the European Council meeting, Cypriot President Christodoulides evaluated the meeting with his European counterparts and some EU leaders positively and emphasized the greater involvement of the European Union in negotiations to solve the problem of Cyprus. Without going into the details of the road map for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, he called for the European Union’s more assertive role. The European Union can provide initiatives and incentives to attract better Turkey’s positive stance to resolving Cyprus.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: The normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, despite several decades of tension in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, has created new speculations about the prospects of ties between the two countries. Despite many controversial cases between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there are many fears and hopes about the results of the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh and its effects and regional consequences. Still, with the current conditions, it seems that the drivers are effective in improving the atmosphere of cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and solving regional issues is stronger than the challenges and doubts in this regard.
Abbas Aslani – International affairs expert
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections indicates Washington’s inability to achieve its war objectives.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: At the end of his recent trip to China, French President Emmanuel Macron made critical comments about the “strategic independence” of the European Union, which is noteworthy.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Director of the Yemen Desk at Mersad Research Institute said that in the current situation, the ceasefire, which is tantamount to the end of the Saudi military aggression, should be considered a fixed issue. He further emphasized: But the end of the internal conflict between the Yemeni groups concerning the partly conflicting interests of those groups and the support of the rival regional parties does not seem to be very accessible for such a capacity to develop their interests in the vital region of Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs, saying that the victory of each of the candidates in the upcoming Turkish elections brings opportunities and threats in the field of foreign relations, emphasized: If the Nation Alliance wins the elections in Turkey, naturally Ankara’s regional ambitions will decrease, and this issue will leave its impacts on Iran-Turkey relations as well.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on the issues of the Zionist regime, calling the horizon ahead of the Zionist regime vague and dark, emphasized that cohesion in the occupied territories is deteriorating, and this issue has affected the strategic approach of the regime.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: A European affairs expert stated that the European Union could not ignore China but at the same time tries not to be utterly dependent on it, saying that we are witnessing a new era of relations between Paris and Beijing, in which China is trying to make France an influencer of itself in the European Union.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The associate professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, while explaining Moscow’s targets and challenges in implementing its new foreign policy strategy document, said: Russia’s desire to shape the new structures and norms in the international system is not a simple task; meanwhile, in this case too, Moscow’s strategy has its contradictions.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: During his two-day trip to Brussels and participation in the European Council meeting, Cypriot President Christodoulides evaluated the meeting with his European counterparts and some EU leaders positively and emphasized the greater involvement of the European Union in negotiations to solve the problem of Cyprus. Without going into the details of the road map for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, he called for the European Union’s more assertive role. The European Union can provide initiatives and incentives to attract better Turkey’s positive stance to resolving Cyprus.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: The normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, despite several decades of tension in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, has created new speculations about the prospects of ties between the two countries. Despite many controversial cases between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there are many fears and hopes about the results of the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh and its effects and regional consequences. Still, with the current conditions, it seems that the drivers are effective in improving the atmosphere of cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and solving regional issues is stronger than the challenges and doubts in this regard.
Abbas Aslani – International affairs expert
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections indicates Washington’s inability to achieve its war objectives.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: At the end of his recent trip to China, French President Emmanuel Macron made critical comments about the “strategic independence” of the European Union, which is noteworthy.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Director of the Yemen Desk at Mersad Research Institute said that in the current situation, the ceasefire, which is tantamount to the end of the Saudi military aggression, should be considered a fixed issue. He further emphasized: But the end of the internal conflict between the Yemeni groups concerning the partly conflicting interests of those groups and the support of the rival regional parties does not seem to be very accessible for such a capacity to develop their interests in the vital region of Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs, saying that the victory of each of the candidates in the upcoming Turkish elections brings opportunities and threats in the field of foreign relations, emphasized: If the Nation Alliance wins the elections in Turkey, naturally Ankara’s regional ambitions will decrease, and this issue will leave its impacts on Iran-Turkey relations as well.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on the issues of the Zionist regime, calling the horizon ahead of the Zionist regime vague and dark, emphasized that cohesion in the occupied territories is deteriorating, and this issue has affected the strategic approach of the regime.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: A European affairs expert stated that the European Union could not ignore China but at the same time tries not to be utterly dependent on it, saying that we are witnessing a new era of relations between Paris and Beijing, in which China is trying to make France an influencer of itself in the European Union.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The associate professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, while explaining Moscow’s targets and challenges in implementing its new foreign policy strategy document, said: Russia’s desire to shape the new structures and norms in the international system is not a simple task; meanwhile, in this case too, Moscow’s strategy has its contradictions.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: During his two-day trip to Brussels and participation in the European Council meeting, Cypriot President Christodoulides evaluated the meeting with his European counterparts and some EU leaders positively and emphasized the greater involvement of the European Union in negotiations to solve the problem of Cyprus. Without going into the details of the road map for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, he called for the European Union’s more assertive role. The European Union can provide initiatives and incentives to attract better Turkey’s positive stance to resolving Cyprus.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: The normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, despite several decades of tension in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, has created new speculations about the prospects of ties between the two countries. Despite many controversial cases between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there are many fears and hopes about the results of the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh and its effects and regional consequences. Still, with the current conditions, it seems that the drivers are effective in improving the atmosphere of cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and solving regional issues is stronger than the challenges and doubts in this regard.
Abbas Aslani – International affairs expert
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections indicates Washington’s inability to achieve its war objectives.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: At the end of his recent trip to China, French President Emmanuel Macron made critical comments about the “strategic independence” of the European Union, which is noteworthy.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Director of the Yemen Desk at Mersad Research Institute said that in the current situation, the ceasefire, which is tantamount to the end of the Saudi military aggression, should be considered a fixed issue. He further emphasized: But the end of the internal conflict between the Yemeni groups concerning the partly conflicting interests of those groups and the support of the rival regional parties does not seem to be very accessible for such a capacity to develop their interests in the vital region of Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs, saying that the victory of each of the candidates in the upcoming Turkish elections brings opportunities and threats in the field of foreign relations, emphasized: If the Nation Alliance wins the elections in Turkey, naturally Ankara’s regional ambitions will decrease, and this issue will leave its impacts on Iran-Turkey relations as well.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on the issues of the Zionist regime, calling the horizon ahead of the Zionist regime vague and dark, emphasized that cohesion in the occupied territories is deteriorating, and this issue has affected the strategic approach of the regime.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: A European affairs expert stated that the European Union could not ignore China but at the same time tries not to be utterly dependent on it, saying that we are witnessing a new era of relations between Paris and Beijing, in which China is trying to make France an influencer of itself in the European Union.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The associate professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, while explaining Moscow’s targets and challenges in implementing its new foreign policy strategy document, said: Russia’s desire to shape the new structures and norms in the international system is not a simple task; meanwhile, in this case too, Moscow’s strategy has its contradictions.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: During his two-day trip to Brussels and participation in the European Council meeting, Cypriot President Christodoulides evaluated the meeting with his European counterparts and some EU leaders positively and emphasized the greater involvement of the European Union in negotiations to solve the problem of Cyprus. Without going into the details of the road map for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, he called for the European Union’s more assertive role. The European Union can provide initiatives and incentives to attract better Turkey’s positive stance to resolving Cyprus.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: The normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, despite several decades of tension in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, has created new speculations about the prospects of ties between the two countries. Despite many controversial cases between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there are many fears and hopes about the results of the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh and its effects and regional consequences. Still, with the current conditions, it seems that the drivers are effective in improving the atmosphere of cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and solving regional issues is stronger than the challenges and doubts in this regard.
Abbas Aslani – International affairs expert
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections indicates Washington’s inability to achieve its war objectives.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: At the end of his recent trip to China, French President Emmanuel Macron made critical comments about the “strategic independence” of the European Union, which is noteworthy.
Hamid Khoshayand – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Director of the Yemen Desk at Mersad Research Institute said that in the current situation, the ceasefire, which is tantamount to the end of the Saudi military aggression, should be considered a fixed issue. He further emphasized: But the end of the internal conflict between the Yemeni groups concerning the partly conflicting interests of those groups and the support of the rival regional parties does not seem to be very accessible for such a capacity to develop their interests in the vital region of Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs, saying that the victory of each of the candidates in the upcoming Turkish elections brings opportunities and threats in the field of foreign relations, emphasized: If the Nation Alliance wins the elections in Turkey, naturally Ankara’s regional ambitions will decrease, and this issue will leave its impacts on Iran-Turkey relations as well.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert on the issues of the Zionist regime, calling the horizon ahead of the Zionist regime vague and dark, emphasized that cohesion in the occupied territories is deteriorating, and this issue has affected the strategic approach of the regime.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: A European affairs expert stated that the European Union could not ignore China but at the same time tries not to be utterly dependent on it, saying that we are witnessing a new era of relations between Paris and Beijing, in which China is trying to make France an influencer of itself in the European Union.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The official invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, extended to Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, to participate in the meeting of the heads of the Arab League in Riyadh is indicative of Syria’s final transition from the 12-year-old crisis.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The associate professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, while explaining Moscow’s targets and challenges in implementing its new foreign policy strategy document, said: Russia’s desire to shape the new structures and norms in the international system is not a simple task; meanwhile, in this case too, Moscow’s strategy has its contradictions.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: During his two-day trip to Brussels and participation in the European Council meeting, Cypriot President Christodoulides evaluated the meeting with his European counterparts and some EU leaders positively and emphasized the greater involvement of the European Union in negotiations to solve the problem of Cyprus. Without going into the details of the road map for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, he called for the European Union’s more assertive role. The European Union can provide initiatives and incentives to attract better Turkey’s positive stance to resolving Cyprus.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International Affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: The normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, despite several decades of tension in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, has created new speculations about the prospects of ties between the two countries. Despite many controversial cases between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there are many fears and hopes about the results of the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh and its effects and regional consequences. Still, with the current conditions, it seems that the drivers are effective in improving the atmosphere of cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and solving regional issues is stronger than the challenges and doubts in this regard.
Abbas Aslani – International affairs expert
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections indicates Washington’s inability to achieve its war objectives.