SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, stating that with the blocking of the Lachin Corridor nine months ago and the surrender of Karabakh, Moscow’s 2020 agreement has practically collapsed, added: For the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a solid anti-Russian atmosphere has been created in Armenia and the US, while considering the Russians to be the cause of the current situation, is trying to show Russia as passive and useless and pull the rug from that country’s foot in the region and strengthen its presence in Armenia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The tragic and criminal incident at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which based on the explicit confession of the assailant, took place with personal motives, ended with the timely intervention of the police force.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Emphasizing that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia should respect each other’s territorial integrity and observe international standards, an expert on international issues said that what happened with the blocking of Lachin corridor is against the standards of international law. The Republic of Azerbaijan should be demanded to cancel the restrictions and at the same time clarify the ambiguities of the Moscow Agreement, which was signed with the presence of Russia and between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, otherwise there is always the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at Yerevan State University while emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Iran, Russia and Armenia to resolve the conflicts in the Karabakh region said: The measures being followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan show that Baku really wants war in the region. Any agreement and negotiation that takes place is quickly violated by Baku, and this violation of commitments is of no importance to them.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Caucasus affairs said: Armenia is angry with Russia over its failure to give a quick and decisive response regarding the lifting of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, and by not welcoming tripartite negotiations, it intends to show its dissatisfaction, but this action will not help to improve the situation and enables the Republic of Azerbaijan to find the possibility for more movement.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The head of the Caucasus Studies Foundation, saying that Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia are seeking to de-escalate and normalize their relations added: There is the possibility that communication lines will be opened under the control and supervision of Russian forces, and in this regard, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan should also deviate from their ambitious demands.
Strategic Council Online – opinion: Turkey has conducted two separate military exercises with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the one hand and Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the other hand, on limited land and sea scale. The Ankara government pursues specific targets of holding exercises that are geopolitically “purposeful” and “meaningful”, and the recent exercise is one of Turkey’s most important measures since the end of the Second Karabakh War.
Hamid Khoshayand – International affairs analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, stating that with the blocking of the Lachin Corridor nine months ago and the surrender of Karabakh, Moscow’s 2020 agreement has practically collapsed, added: For the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a solid anti-Russian atmosphere has been created in Armenia and the US, while considering the Russians to be the cause of the current situation, is trying to show Russia as passive and useless and pull the rug from that country’s foot in the region and strengthen its presence in Armenia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The tragic and criminal incident at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which based on the explicit confession of the assailant, took place with personal motives, ended with the timely intervention of the police force.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Emphasizing that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia should respect each other’s territorial integrity and observe international standards, an expert on international issues said that what happened with the blocking of Lachin corridor is against the standards of international law. The Republic of Azerbaijan should be demanded to cancel the restrictions and at the same time clarify the ambiguities of the Moscow Agreement, which was signed with the presence of Russia and between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, otherwise there is always the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at Yerevan State University while emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Iran, Russia and Armenia to resolve the conflicts in the Karabakh region said: The measures being followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan show that Baku really wants war in the region. Any agreement and negotiation that takes place is quickly violated by Baku, and this violation of commitments is of no importance to them.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Caucasus affairs said: Armenia is angry with Russia over its failure to give a quick and decisive response regarding the lifting of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, and by not welcoming tripartite negotiations, it intends to show its dissatisfaction, but this action will not help to improve the situation and enables the Republic of Azerbaijan to find the possibility for more movement.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The head of the Caucasus Studies Foundation, saying that Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia are seeking to de-escalate and normalize their relations added: There is the possibility that communication lines will be opened under the control and supervision of Russian forces, and in this regard, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan should also deviate from their ambitious demands.
Strategic Council Online – opinion: Turkey has conducted two separate military exercises with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the one hand and Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the other hand, on limited land and sea scale. The Ankara government pursues specific targets of holding exercises that are geopolitically “purposeful” and “meaningful”, and the recent exercise is one of Turkey’s most important measures since the end of the Second Karabakh War.
Hamid Khoshayand – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, stating that with the blocking of the Lachin Corridor nine months ago and the surrender of Karabakh, Moscow’s 2020 agreement has practically collapsed, added: For the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a solid anti-Russian atmosphere has been created in Armenia and the US, while considering the Russians to be the cause of the current situation, is trying to show Russia as passive and useless and pull the rug from that country’s foot in the region and strengthen its presence in Armenia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The tragic and criminal incident at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which based on the explicit confession of the assailant, took place with personal motives, ended with the timely intervention of the police force.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Emphasizing that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia should respect each other’s territorial integrity and observe international standards, an expert on international issues said that what happened with the blocking of Lachin corridor is against the standards of international law. The Republic of Azerbaijan should be demanded to cancel the restrictions and at the same time clarify the ambiguities of the Moscow Agreement, which was signed with the presence of Russia and between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, otherwise there is always the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at Yerevan State University while emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Iran, Russia and Armenia to resolve the conflicts in the Karabakh region said: The measures being followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan show that Baku really wants war in the region. Any agreement and negotiation that takes place is quickly violated by Baku, and this violation of commitments is of no importance to them.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Caucasus affairs said: Armenia is angry with Russia over its failure to give a quick and decisive response regarding the lifting of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, and by not welcoming tripartite negotiations, it intends to show its dissatisfaction, but this action will not help to improve the situation and enables the Republic of Azerbaijan to find the possibility for more movement.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The head of the Caucasus Studies Foundation, saying that Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia are seeking to de-escalate and normalize their relations added: There is the possibility that communication lines will be opened under the control and supervision of Russian forces, and in this regard, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan should also deviate from their ambitious demands.
Strategic Council Online – opinion: Turkey has conducted two separate military exercises with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the one hand and Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the other hand, on limited land and sea scale. The Ankara government pursues specific targets of holding exercises that are geopolitically “purposeful” and “meaningful”, and the recent exercise is one of Turkey’s most important measures since the end of the Second Karabakh War.
Hamid Khoshayand – International affairs analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, stating that with the blocking of the Lachin Corridor nine months ago and the surrender of Karabakh, Moscow’s 2020 agreement has practically collapsed, added: For the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a solid anti-Russian atmosphere has been created in Armenia and the US, while considering the Russians to be the cause of the current situation, is trying to show Russia as passive and useless and pull the rug from that country’s foot in the region and strengthen its presence in Armenia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The tragic and criminal incident at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which based on the explicit confession of the assailant, took place with personal motives, ended with the timely intervention of the police force.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Emphasizing that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia should respect each other’s territorial integrity and observe international standards, an expert on international issues said that what happened with the blocking of Lachin corridor is against the standards of international law. The Republic of Azerbaijan should be demanded to cancel the restrictions and at the same time clarify the ambiguities of the Moscow Agreement, which was signed with the presence of Russia and between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, otherwise there is always the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at Yerevan State University while emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Iran, Russia and Armenia to resolve the conflicts in the Karabakh region said: The measures being followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan show that Baku really wants war in the region. Any agreement and negotiation that takes place is quickly violated by Baku, and this violation of commitments is of no importance to them.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Caucasus affairs said: Armenia is angry with Russia over its failure to give a quick and decisive response regarding the lifting of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, and by not welcoming tripartite negotiations, it intends to show its dissatisfaction, but this action will not help to improve the situation and enables the Republic of Azerbaijan to find the possibility for more movement.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The head of the Caucasus Studies Foundation, saying that Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia are seeking to de-escalate and normalize their relations added: There is the possibility that communication lines will be opened under the control and supervision of Russian forces, and in this regard, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan should also deviate from their ambitious demands.
Strategic Council Online – opinion: Turkey has conducted two separate military exercises with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the one hand and Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the other hand, on limited land and sea scale. The Ankara government pursues specific targets of holding exercises that are geopolitically “purposeful” and “meaningful”, and the recent exercise is one of Turkey’s most important measures since the end of the Second Karabakh War.
Hamid Khoshayand – International affairs analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, stating that with the blocking of the Lachin Corridor nine months ago and the surrender of Karabakh, Moscow’s 2020 agreement has practically collapsed, added: For the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a solid anti-Russian atmosphere has been created in Armenia and the US, while considering the Russians to be the cause of the current situation, is trying to show Russia as passive and useless and pull the rug from that country’s foot in the region and strengthen its presence in Armenia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The tragic and criminal incident at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which based on the explicit confession of the assailant, took place with personal motives, ended with the timely intervention of the police force.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Emphasizing that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia should respect each other’s territorial integrity and observe international standards, an expert on international issues said that what happened with the blocking of Lachin corridor is against the standards of international law. The Republic of Azerbaijan should be demanded to cancel the restrictions and at the same time clarify the ambiguities of the Moscow Agreement, which was signed with the presence of Russia and between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, otherwise there is always the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at Yerevan State University while emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Iran, Russia and Armenia to resolve the conflicts in the Karabakh region said: The measures being followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan show that Baku really wants war in the region. Any agreement and negotiation that takes place is quickly violated by Baku, and this violation of commitments is of no importance to them.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Caucasus affairs said: Armenia is angry with Russia over its failure to give a quick and decisive response regarding the lifting of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, and by not welcoming tripartite negotiations, it intends to show its dissatisfaction, but this action will not help to improve the situation and enables the Republic of Azerbaijan to find the possibility for more movement.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The head of the Caucasus Studies Foundation, saying that Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia are seeking to de-escalate and normalize their relations added: There is the possibility that communication lines will be opened under the control and supervision of Russian forces, and in this regard, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan should also deviate from their ambitious demands.
Strategic Council Online – opinion: Turkey has conducted two separate military exercises with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the one hand and Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the other hand, on limited land and sea scale. The Ankara government pursues specific targets of holding exercises that are geopolitically “purposeful” and “meaningful”, and the recent exercise is one of Turkey’s most important measures since the end of the Second Karabakh War.
Hamid Khoshayand – International affairs analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, stating that with the blocking of the Lachin Corridor nine months ago and the surrender of Karabakh, Moscow’s 2020 agreement has practically collapsed, added: For the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a solid anti-Russian atmosphere has been created in Armenia and the US, while considering the Russians to be the cause of the current situation, is trying to show Russia as passive and useless and pull the rug from that country’s foot in the region and strengthen its presence in Armenia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The tragic and criminal incident at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which based on the explicit confession of the assailant, took place with personal motives, ended with the timely intervention of the police force.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Emphasizing that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia should respect each other’s territorial integrity and observe international standards, an expert on international issues said that what happened with the blocking of Lachin corridor is against the standards of international law. The Republic of Azerbaijan should be demanded to cancel the restrictions and at the same time clarify the ambiguities of the Moscow Agreement, which was signed with the presence of Russia and between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, otherwise there is always the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at Yerevan State University while emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Iran, Russia and Armenia to resolve the conflicts in the Karabakh region said: The measures being followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan show that Baku really wants war in the region. Any agreement and negotiation that takes place is quickly violated by Baku, and this violation of commitments is of no importance to them.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Caucasus affairs said: Armenia is angry with Russia over its failure to give a quick and decisive response regarding the lifting of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, and by not welcoming tripartite negotiations, it intends to show its dissatisfaction, but this action will not help to improve the situation and enables the Republic of Azerbaijan to find the possibility for more movement.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The head of the Caucasus Studies Foundation, saying that Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia are seeking to de-escalate and normalize their relations added: There is the possibility that communication lines will be opened under the control and supervision of Russian forces, and in this regard, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan should also deviate from their ambitious demands.
Strategic Council Online – opinion: Turkey has conducted two separate military exercises with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the one hand and Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the other hand, on limited land and sea scale. The Ankara government pursues specific targets of holding exercises that are geopolitically “purposeful” and “meaningful”, and the recent exercise is one of Turkey’s most important measures since the end of the Second Karabakh War.
Hamid Khoshayand – International affairs analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, stating that with the blocking of the Lachin Corridor nine months ago and the surrender of Karabakh, Moscow’s 2020 agreement has practically collapsed, added: For the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a solid anti-Russian atmosphere has been created in Armenia and the US, while considering the Russians to be the cause of the current situation, is trying to show Russia as passive and useless and pull the rug from that country’s foot in the region and strengthen its presence in Armenia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The tragic and criminal incident at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which based on the explicit confession of the assailant, took place with personal motives, ended with the timely intervention of the police force.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: Emphasizing that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia should respect each other’s territorial integrity and observe international standards, an expert on international issues said that what happened with the blocking of Lachin corridor is against the standards of international law. The Republic of Azerbaijan should be demanded to cancel the restrictions and at the same time clarify the ambiguities of the Moscow Agreement, which was signed with the presence of Russia and between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, otherwise there is always the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at Yerevan State University while emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Iran, Russia and Armenia to resolve the conflicts in the Karabakh region said: The measures being followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan show that Baku really wants war in the region. Any agreement and negotiation that takes place is quickly violated by Baku, and this violation of commitments is of no importance to them.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Caucasus affairs said: Armenia is angry with Russia over its failure to give a quick and decisive response regarding the lifting of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, and by not welcoming tripartite negotiations, it intends to show its dissatisfaction, but this action will not help to improve the situation and enables the Republic of Azerbaijan to find the possibility for more movement.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: The head of the Caucasus Studies Foundation, saying that Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia are seeking to de-escalate and normalize their relations added: There is the possibility that communication lines will be opened under the control and supervision of Russian forces, and in this regard, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan should also deviate from their ambitious demands.
Strategic Council Online – opinion: Turkey has conducted two separate military exercises with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the one hand and Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the other hand, on limited land and sea scale. The Ankara government pursues specific targets of holding exercises that are geopolitically “purposeful” and “meaningful”, and the recent exercise is one of Turkey’s most important measures since the end of the Second Karabakh War.
Hamid Khoshayand – International affairs analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: Developments in the South Caucasus and Central Asia indicate that transit competition has become an arena for a new staging of influence among Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The upcoming Palestinian elections, after nearly two decades of hiatus, could affect the arrangement of political forces, the legitimacy of institutions, and the future path of Palestinian governance.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The direct war of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, disruption of nuclear inspections, and intensification of great power competition have taken the non-proliferation crisis beyond the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
SCFR Online – Opinion: In the Iran–U.S. equation, China pursues a cautious balance between its energy and transit interests with Tehran and considerations related to sanctions and competition with Washington.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The simultaneity of pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has turned the geography of energy and shipping into a new arena for the emergence of new risks, costs, and leverage.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is more than an answer to geopolitical vacuums; in practice, it faces a “deterrence dilemma” and “differing threat perception.” While this pact symbolizes a transition toward regional self-reliance, its first field tests and the complexities of relations with regional actors will determine its real meaning.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The reason for Washington’s reluctance to enter directly into war with Ansarullah is military and economic limitations, electoral considerations, and concern about the expansion of the crisis at two energy chokepoints.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Ansarullah’s recent lightning-fast operation and surprise advances on Yemen’s western coast have rapidly transformed the equations of the war in that country and developments in West Asia, and have challenged the calculations of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the West, and the Israeli regime.