SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resume bilateral relations is West Asia’s most important political and diplomatic event.
Barsam Mohammadi – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Relations between Russia and the Zionist regime have always accompanied many ups and downs. In some cases, cooperation and coordination and some cases, conflict and disagreement have defined the relations of the parties. This situation became more evident after the Ukrainian War. Although Tel Aviv tried to show some neutrality towards the war in Ukraine from the beginning, the talks of its military aid to Ukraine led to a wave of differences between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani—Expert in international issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs called the central message of the US defense secretary’s visit to Baghdad as the declaration of their desire to maintain the presence of their troops in Iraq and stressed: The United States still wants and insists that its forces remain in Iraq. Even though it declared policy, Iraq’s prime minister stated that Baghdad needed no presence of foreign troops, and this policy would only stay at the announcement level.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: An Iraqi affairs expert emphasized that the US wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq and the region, adding that the US presence has no consequences other than insecurity in the region and an impact on the independence of decision-making in the governments that host them.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The strategic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing will help transform the political and security conditions and move towards stable peace and stability in the region. This agreement will end the costly tensions between Tehran and Riyadh and create new political and security stability requirements and expand cooperation between the region’s countries.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The commander of the strategic naval forces of the army said that the 2023 marine security belt joint exercise would help to develop cooperation between the naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia, as well as increase the readiness to provide maritime security and safety jointly in line with creating peace and regional stability, announced the efforts being made to have the countries of the region participate in a marine belt exercise as well as the cooperation of the commanders of the Indian Ocean Naval Forces Symposium (IONS) for the following year.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: While preliminary agreements have been made regarding the export of oil and gas to Germany and Europe, Baghdad will face great challenges in realizing its ambitious goals.
Pouria Nabipour – PhD in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online: The president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in a meeting with Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, will contribute to ending the war in Yemen.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university faculty member saying that the world today is far more complicated than the Cold War era, and based on the developments of the contemporary world and its trends, the possibility of Cold War lineup is not high, noted: Ukraine is the ground for Russia’s strategic mistakes; because even in case of victory, in the long run the economy and then the security of Russia will be worn out.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A former Iranian diplomat says there are numerous problems in the relations between Iran and Europe that have roots in the differences and disputes between them, adding that “of course, it should also be noted that Europe’s policy of double standards is one of the basic problems that this group is involved with in some international issues, and has no acceptable argument to justify it, because only when the violation of international laws regarding Europe and its interests happen, the union claims confrontation, and if this happened to another country that has problems with Europe, the form of dealing is different or it may be associated with the violator.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resume bilateral relations is West Asia’s most important political and diplomatic event.
Barsam Mohammadi – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Relations between Russia and the Zionist regime have always accompanied many ups and downs. In some cases, cooperation and coordination and some cases, conflict and disagreement have defined the relations of the parties. This situation became more evident after the Ukrainian War. Although Tel Aviv tried to show some neutrality towards the war in Ukraine from the beginning, the talks of its military aid to Ukraine led to a wave of differences between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani—Expert in international issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs called the central message of the US defense secretary’s visit to Baghdad as the declaration of their desire to maintain the presence of their troops in Iraq and stressed: The United States still wants and insists that its forces remain in Iraq. Even though it declared policy, Iraq’s prime minister stated that Baghdad needed no presence of foreign troops, and this policy would only stay at the announcement level.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: An Iraqi affairs expert emphasized that the US wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq and the region, adding that the US presence has no consequences other than insecurity in the region and an impact on the independence of decision-making in the governments that host them.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The strategic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing will help transform the political and security conditions and move towards stable peace and stability in the region. This agreement will end the costly tensions between Tehran and Riyadh and create new political and security stability requirements and expand cooperation between the region’s countries.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The commander of the strategic naval forces of the army said that the 2023 marine security belt joint exercise would help to develop cooperation between the naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia, as well as increase the readiness to provide maritime security and safety jointly in line with creating peace and regional stability, announced the efforts being made to have the countries of the region participate in a marine belt exercise as well as the cooperation of the commanders of the Indian Ocean Naval Forces Symposium (IONS) for the following year.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: While preliminary agreements have been made regarding the export of oil and gas to Germany and Europe, Baghdad will face great challenges in realizing its ambitious goals.
Pouria Nabipour – PhD in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online: The president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in a meeting with Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, will contribute to ending the war in Yemen.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university faculty member saying that the world today is far more complicated than the Cold War era, and based on the developments of the contemporary world and its trends, the possibility of Cold War lineup is not high, noted: Ukraine is the ground for Russia’s strategic mistakes; because even in case of victory, in the long run the economy and then the security of Russia will be worn out.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A former Iranian diplomat says there are numerous problems in the relations between Iran and Europe that have roots in the differences and disputes between them, adding that “of course, it should also be noted that Europe’s policy of double standards is one of the basic problems that this group is involved with in some international issues, and has no acceptable argument to justify it, because only when the violation of international laws regarding Europe and its interests happen, the union claims confrontation, and if this happened to another country that has problems with Europe, the form of dealing is different or it may be associated with the violator.”
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resume bilateral relations is West Asia’s most important political and diplomatic event.
Barsam Mohammadi – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Relations between Russia and the Zionist regime have always accompanied many ups and downs. In some cases, cooperation and coordination and some cases, conflict and disagreement have defined the relations of the parties. This situation became more evident after the Ukrainian War. Although Tel Aviv tried to show some neutrality towards the war in Ukraine from the beginning, the talks of its military aid to Ukraine led to a wave of differences between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani—Expert in international issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs called the central message of the US defense secretary’s visit to Baghdad as the declaration of their desire to maintain the presence of their troops in Iraq and stressed: The United States still wants and insists that its forces remain in Iraq. Even though it declared policy, Iraq’s prime minister stated that Baghdad needed no presence of foreign troops, and this policy would only stay at the announcement level.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: An Iraqi affairs expert emphasized that the US wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq and the region, adding that the US presence has no consequences other than insecurity in the region and an impact on the independence of decision-making in the governments that host them.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The strategic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing will help transform the political and security conditions and move towards stable peace and stability in the region. This agreement will end the costly tensions between Tehran and Riyadh and create new political and security stability requirements and expand cooperation between the region’s countries.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The commander of the strategic naval forces of the army said that the 2023 marine security belt joint exercise would help to develop cooperation between the naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia, as well as increase the readiness to provide maritime security and safety jointly in line with creating peace and regional stability, announced the efforts being made to have the countries of the region participate in a marine belt exercise as well as the cooperation of the commanders of the Indian Ocean Naval Forces Symposium (IONS) for the following year.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: While preliminary agreements have been made regarding the export of oil and gas to Germany and Europe, Baghdad will face great challenges in realizing its ambitious goals.
Pouria Nabipour – PhD in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online: The president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in a meeting with Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, will contribute to ending the war in Yemen.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university faculty member saying that the world today is far more complicated than the Cold War era, and based on the developments of the contemporary world and its trends, the possibility of Cold War lineup is not high, noted: Ukraine is the ground for Russia’s strategic mistakes; because even in case of victory, in the long run the economy and then the security of Russia will be worn out.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A former Iranian diplomat says there are numerous problems in the relations between Iran and Europe that have roots in the differences and disputes between them, adding that “of course, it should also be noted that Europe’s policy of double standards is one of the basic problems that this group is involved with in some international issues, and has no acceptable argument to justify it, because only when the violation of international laws regarding Europe and its interests happen, the union claims confrontation, and if this happened to another country that has problems with Europe, the form of dealing is different or it may be associated with the violator.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resume bilateral relations is West Asia’s most important political and diplomatic event.
Barsam Mohammadi – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Relations between Russia and the Zionist regime have always accompanied many ups and downs. In some cases, cooperation and coordination and some cases, conflict and disagreement have defined the relations of the parties. This situation became more evident after the Ukrainian War. Although Tel Aviv tried to show some neutrality towards the war in Ukraine from the beginning, the talks of its military aid to Ukraine led to a wave of differences between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani—Expert in international issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs called the central message of the US defense secretary’s visit to Baghdad as the declaration of their desire to maintain the presence of their troops in Iraq and stressed: The United States still wants and insists that its forces remain in Iraq. Even though it declared policy, Iraq’s prime minister stated that Baghdad needed no presence of foreign troops, and this policy would only stay at the announcement level.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: An Iraqi affairs expert emphasized that the US wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq and the region, adding that the US presence has no consequences other than insecurity in the region and an impact on the independence of decision-making in the governments that host them.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The strategic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing will help transform the political and security conditions and move towards stable peace and stability in the region. This agreement will end the costly tensions between Tehran and Riyadh and create new political and security stability requirements and expand cooperation between the region’s countries.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The commander of the strategic naval forces of the army said that the 2023 marine security belt joint exercise would help to develop cooperation between the naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia, as well as increase the readiness to provide maritime security and safety jointly in line with creating peace and regional stability, announced the efforts being made to have the countries of the region participate in a marine belt exercise as well as the cooperation of the commanders of the Indian Ocean Naval Forces Symposium (IONS) for the following year.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: While preliminary agreements have been made regarding the export of oil and gas to Germany and Europe, Baghdad will face great challenges in realizing its ambitious goals.
Pouria Nabipour – PhD in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online: The president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in a meeting with Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, will contribute to ending the war in Yemen.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university faculty member saying that the world today is far more complicated than the Cold War era, and based on the developments of the contemporary world and its trends, the possibility of Cold War lineup is not high, noted: Ukraine is the ground for Russia’s strategic mistakes; because even in case of victory, in the long run the economy and then the security of Russia will be worn out.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A former Iranian diplomat says there are numerous problems in the relations between Iran and Europe that have roots in the differences and disputes between them, adding that “of course, it should also be noted that Europe’s policy of double standards is one of the basic problems that this group is involved with in some international issues, and has no acceptable argument to justify it, because only when the violation of international laws regarding Europe and its interests happen, the union claims confrontation, and if this happened to another country that has problems with Europe, the form of dealing is different or it may be associated with the violator.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resume bilateral relations is West Asia’s most important political and diplomatic event.
Barsam Mohammadi – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Relations between Russia and the Zionist regime have always accompanied many ups and downs. In some cases, cooperation and coordination and some cases, conflict and disagreement have defined the relations of the parties. This situation became more evident after the Ukrainian War. Although Tel Aviv tried to show some neutrality towards the war in Ukraine from the beginning, the talks of its military aid to Ukraine led to a wave of differences between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani—Expert in international issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs called the central message of the US defense secretary’s visit to Baghdad as the declaration of their desire to maintain the presence of their troops in Iraq and stressed: The United States still wants and insists that its forces remain in Iraq. Even though it declared policy, Iraq’s prime minister stated that Baghdad needed no presence of foreign troops, and this policy would only stay at the announcement level.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: An Iraqi affairs expert emphasized that the US wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq and the region, adding that the US presence has no consequences other than insecurity in the region and an impact on the independence of decision-making in the governments that host them.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The strategic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing will help transform the political and security conditions and move towards stable peace and stability in the region. This agreement will end the costly tensions between Tehran and Riyadh and create new political and security stability requirements and expand cooperation between the region’s countries.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The commander of the strategic naval forces of the army said that the 2023 marine security belt joint exercise would help to develop cooperation between the naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia, as well as increase the readiness to provide maritime security and safety jointly in line with creating peace and regional stability, announced the efforts being made to have the countries of the region participate in a marine belt exercise as well as the cooperation of the commanders of the Indian Ocean Naval Forces Symposium (IONS) for the following year.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: While preliminary agreements have been made regarding the export of oil and gas to Germany and Europe, Baghdad will face great challenges in realizing its ambitious goals.
Pouria Nabipour – PhD in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online: The president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in a meeting with Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, will contribute to ending the war in Yemen.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university faculty member saying that the world today is far more complicated than the Cold War era, and based on the developments of the contemporary world and its trends, the possibility of Cold War lineup is not high, noted: Ukraine is the ground for Russia’s strategic mistakes; because even in case of victory, in the long run the economy and then the security of Russia will be worn out.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A former Iranian diplomat says there are numerous problems in the relations between Iran and Europe that have roots in the differences and disputes between them, adding that “of course, it should also be noted that Europe’s policy of double standards is one of the basic problems that this group is involved with in some international issues, and has no acceptable argument to justify it, because only when the violation of international laws regarding Europe and its interests happen, the union claims confrontation, and if this happened to another country that has problems with Europe, the form of dealing is different or it may be associated with the violator.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resume bilateral relations is West Asia’s most important political and diplomatic event.
Barsam Mohammadi – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Relations between Russia and the Zionist regime have always accompanied many ups and downs. In some cases, cooperation and coordination and some cases, conflict and disagreement have defined the relations of the parties. This situation became more evident after the Ukrainian War. Although Tel Aviv tried to show some neutrality towards the war in Ukraine from the beginning, the talks of its military aid to Ukraine led to a wave of differences between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani—Expert in international issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs called the central message of the US defense secretary’s visit to Baghdad as the declaration of their desire to maintain the presence of their troops in Iraq and stressed: The United States still wants and insists that its forces remain in Iraq. Even though it declared policy, Iraq’s prime minister stated that Baghdad needed no presence of foreign troops, and this policy would only stay at the announcement level.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: An Iraqi affairs expert emphasized that the US wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq and the region, adding that the US presence has no consequences other than insecurity in the region and an impact on the independence of decision-making in the governments that host them.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The strategic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing will help transform the political and security conditions and move towards stable peace and stability in the region. This agreement will end the costly tensions between Tehran and Riyadh and create new political and security stability requirements and expand cooperation between the region’s countries.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The commander of the strategic naval forces of the army said that the 2023 marine security belt joint exercise would help to develop cooperation between the naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia, as well as increase the readiness to provide maritime security and safety jointly in line with creating peace and regional stability, announced the efforts being made to have the countries of the region participate in a marine belt exercise as well as the cooperation of the commanders of the Indian Ocean Naval Forces Symposium (IONS) for the following year.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: While preliminary agreements have been made regarding the export of oil and gas to Germany and Europe, Baghdad will face great challenges in realizing its ambitious goals.
Pouria Nabipour – PhD in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online: The president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in a meeting with Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, will contribute to ending the war in Yemen.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university faculty member saying that the world today is far more complicated than the Cold War era, and based on the developments of the contemporary world and its trends, the possibility of Cold War lineup is not high, noted: Ukraine is the ground for Russia’s strategic mistakes; because even in case of victory, in the long run the economy and then the security of Russia will be worn out.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A former Iranian diplomat says there are numerous problems in the relations between Iran and Europe that have roots in the differences and disputes between them, adding that “of course, it should also be noted that Europe’s policy of double standards is one of the basic problems that this group is involved with in some international issues, and has no acceptable argument to justify it, because only when the violation of international laws regarding Europe and its interests happen, the union claims confrontation, and if this happened to another country that has problems with Europe, the form of dealing is different or it may be associated with the violator.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resume bilateral relations is West Asia’s most important political and diplomatic event.
Barsam Mohammadi – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Relations between Russia and the Zionist regime have always accompanied many ups and downs. In some cases, cooperation and coordination and some cases, conflict and disagreement have defined the relations of the parties. This situation became more evident after the Ukrainian War. Although Tel Aviv tried to show some neutrality towards the war in Ukraine from the beginning, the talks of its military aid to Ukraine led to a wave of differences between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani—Expert in international issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on West Asia affairs called the central message of the US defense secretary’s visit to Baghdad as the declaration of their desire to maintain the presence of their troops in Iraq and stressed: The United States still wants and insists that its forces remain in Iraq. Even though it declared policy, Iraq’s prime minister stated that Baghdad needed no presence of foreign troops, and this policy would only stay at the announcement level.
Strategic Council Online-Interview: An Iraqi affairs expert emphasized that the US wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq and the region, adding that the US presence has no consequences other than insecurity in the region and an impact on the independence of decision-making in the governments that host them.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The strategic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing will help transform the political and security conditions and move towards stable peace and stability in the region. This agreement will end the costly tensions between Tehran and Riyadh and create new political and security stability requirements and expand cooperation between the region’s countries.
Hassan Hanizadeh – Expert on Middle East affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The commander of the strategic naval forces of the army said that the 2023 marine security belt joint exercise would help to develop cooperation between the naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia, as well as increase the readiness to provide maritime security and safety jointly in line with creating peace and regional stability, announced the efforts being made to have the countries of the region participate in a marine belt exercise as well as the cooperation of the commanders of the Indian Ocean Naval Forces Symposium (IONS) for the following year.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: While preliminary agreements have been made regarding the export of oil and gas to Germany and Europe, Baghdad will face great challenges in realizing its ambitious goals.
Pouria Nabipour – PhD in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online: The president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in a meeting with Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, will contribute to ending the war in Yemen.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university faculty member saying that the world today is far more complicated than the Cold War era, and based on the developments of the contemporary world and its trends, the possibility of Cold War lineup is not high, noted: Ukraine is the ground for Russia’s strategic mistakes; because even in case of victory, in the long run the economy and then the security of Russia will be worn out.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A former Iranian diplomat says there are numerous problems in the relations between Iran and Europe that have roots in the differences and disputes between them, adding that “of course, it should also be noted that Europe’s policy of double standards is one of the basic problems that this group is involved with in some international issues, and has no acceptable argument to justify it, because only when the violation of international laws regarding Europe and its interests happen, the union claims confrontation, and if this happened to another country that has problems with Europe, the form of dealing is different or it may be associated with the violator.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the war between Iran and the United States, the main battlefield was not defined solely in the military domain; rather, the battle of narratives in cyberspace—particularly through memes—reached a decisive level.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: After approximately five months of political deadlock and institutional confusion, Ali al-Zaydi has finally been selected as Iraq’s Prime Minister. Al-Zaydi’s selection as Prime Minister represents a positive sign of the completion of the government formation process and the beginning of a new phase in Iraqi politics and governance. The emergence of a young, technocratic figure from the third generation of politicians—in a context where the country has been administered by traditional figures for decades—revives hope that Iraq may perhaps distance itself from the repetitive cycle of crises and experience a new path of stability, efficiency, and regional convergence.
SCFR Online – Note: Europe’s refusal to align with the United States in the war against Iran is not a temporary tactic, but rather a sign of strategic divergence and a move toward forced autonomy.
SCFR Online – Note: The militarization of artificial intelligence has eroded the boundaries of ethics and responsibility in warfare, transforming contemporary conflicts into arenas where human decision-making has become increasingly marginalized.
SCFR Online – Note: Over recent decades, support for the Zionist regime has been one of the few issues commanding bipartisan consensus in US foreign policy. Since the Cold War era, Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed on the necessity of preserving the security and survival of the Zionist regime as Washington’s most strategic ally in West Asia—and indeed, globally. However, developments in recent years—particularly the Gaza war, escalating regional conflicts, the expansion of tensions into Lebanon, and this regime’s recent warmongering against Iran—have caused this traditional consensus, especially within the Democratic Party, to face significant fractures.
SCFR Online – Note: Following the resumption of the US and Israeli regime’s war against Iran on February 28, certain divisions have emerged within the United States regarding this issue, both among the public and among political factions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The internal situation of the Israeli regime during the 40-day war can be analyzed from several perspectives. The popularity levels of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party, and the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu until February 28, 2026, remained approximately the same as during the preceding year. The most recent factor that had somewhat increased Netanyahu’s popularity was the advancement of the 2024 war with Hezbollah Lebanon. Subsequently, his popularity temporarily increased during the 12-day war with Iran, but after the war, it returned to its previous state.