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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The competition between Washington and Beijing over chips and artificial intelligence, simultaneously with the shifting of technological balances, has taken on new economic and security dimensions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit has created a new opportunity for Iran to transform its membership from a political achievement into economic and transit cooperation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Makkah Defense Pact can be seen as a sign of regional countries’ efforts to reduce security dependence on extra-regional powers and redefine the balance in West Asia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The division of the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan in the 38-degree orbit was considered vital and strategic for the two superpowers of the bipolar world, but its endless costs and hardships, and its profound effects on the East Asian region still remain.
Hossein Sayyahi—Researcher of international politics
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international affairs saying that the West is seeking to supply more arms to Ukraine in order to ensure its stronger position at the negotiation table with Russia to end the war.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The latest report from the Swedish think-tank Sipri, which is active in the field of weapons surveillance worldwide, shows a worrying trend in the growth of nuclear arsenals. This is despite the fact that this trend has been declining since the Cold War.
Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini—Researcher of International Law
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said that the tension and hostility between Russia and Europe has reached a level that its return to the time before the war in Ukraine is practically impossible, adding: The EU adherence to the US strategic reservations against Russia, despite high economic losses of Europe and Russia, will still continue.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of international issues mentioned the reason why Russia and China did not accompany the West on North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear missiles because of security balance considerations and balance of power versus the West and said:” new circumstances in international system caused Russia and China to strategically distance from some of their principles”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Following Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, North Korea conducted three missile tests on May 24, which observers say included two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental missile. The tests are considered as the seventeenth round of tests in that country in 2022. The latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, if confirmed, is the second since March. Such developments show that North Korea is breaking away from the “self-imposed suspension” from 2018.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani – Expert on Asia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine showed that most of the predictions that considered the idea of an attack a mere propaganda ploy and the conspiracy of Western media or regarded the interwoven global economy an obstacle hindering outbreak of war were not accurate enough.
Seyed Nader Nourbakhsh – Expert on Europe affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute for Strategic Studies saying that we are witnessing an increase in China’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa, noted: West Asia plays an important role in China’s foreign policy perspective, and given its geopolitical location, it has been considered as a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The competition between Washington and Beijing over chips and artificial intelligence, simultaneously with the shifting of technological balances, has taken on new economic and security dimensions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit has created a new opportunity for Iran to transform its membership from a political achievement into economic and transit cooperation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Makkah Defense Pact can be seen as a sign of regional countries’ efforts to reduce security dependence on extra-regional powers and redefine the balance in West Asia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The division of the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan in the 38-degree orbit was considered vital and strategic for the two superpowers of the bipolar world, but its endless costs and hardships, and its profound effects on the East Asian region still remain.
Hossein Sayyahi—Researcher of international politics
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international affairs saying that the West is seeking to supply more arms to Ukraine in order to ensure its stronger position at the negotiation table with Russia to end the war.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The latest report from the Swedish think-tank Sipri, which is active in the field of weapons surveillance worldwide, shows a worrying trend in the growth of nuclear arsenals. This is despite the fact that this trend has been declining since the Cold War.
Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini—Researcher of International Law
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said that the tension and hostility between Russia and Europe has reached a level that its return to the time before the war in Ukraine is practically impossible, adding: The EU adherence to the US strategic reservations against Russia, despite high economic losses of Europe and Russia, will still continue.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of international issues mentioned the reason why Russia and China did not accompany the West on North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear missiles because of security balance considerations and balance of power versus the West and said:” new circumstances in international system caused Russia and China to strategically distance from some of their principles”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Following Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, North Korea conducted three missile tests on May 24, which observers say included two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental missile. The tests are considered as the seventeenth round of tests in that country in 2022. The latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, if confirmed, is the second since March. Such developments show that North Korea is breaking away from the “self-imposed suspension” from 2018.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani – Expert on Asia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine showed that most of the predictions that considered the idea of an attack a mere propaganda ploy and the conspiracy of Western media or regarded the interwoven global economy an obstacle hindering outbreak of war were not accurate enough.
Seyed Nader Nourbakhsh – Expert on Europe affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute for Strategic Studies saying that we are witnessing an increase in China’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa, noted: West Asia plays an important role in China’s foreign policy perspective, and given its geopolitical location, it has been considered as a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The division of the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan in the 38-degree orbit was considered vital and strategic for the two superpowers of the bipolar world, but its endless costs and hardships, and its profound effects on the East Asian region still remain.
Hossein Sayyahi—Researcher of international politics
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international affairs saying that the West is seeking to supply more arms to Ukraine in order to ensure its stronger position at the negotiation table with Russia to end the war.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The latest report from the Swedish think-tank Sipri, which is active in the field of weapons surveillance worldwide, shows a worrying trend in the growth of nuclear arsenals. This is despite the fact that this trend has been declining since the Cold War.
Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini—Researcher of International Law
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said that the tension and hostility between Russia and Europe has reached a level that its return to the time before the war in Ukraine is practically impossible, adding: The EU adherence to the US strategic reservations against Russia, despite high economic losses of Europe and Russia, will still continue.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of international issues mentioned the reason why Russia and China did not accompany the West on North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear missiles because of security balance considerations and balance of power versus the West and said:” new circumstances in international system caused Russia and China to strategically distance from some of their principles”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Following Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, North Korea conducted three missile tests on May 24, which observers say included two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental missile. The tests are considered as the seventeenth round of tests in that country in 2022. The latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, if confirmed, is the second since March. Such developments show that North Korea is breaking away from the “self-imposed suspension” from 2018.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani – Expert on Asia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine showed that most of the predictions that considered the idea of an attack a mere propaganda ploy and the conspiracy of Western media or regarded the interwoven global economy an obstacle hindering outbreak of war were not accurate enough.
Seyed Nader Nourbakhsh – Expert on Europe affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute for Strategic Studies saying that we are witnessing an increase in China’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa, noted: West Asia plays an important role in China’s foreign policy perspective, and given its geopolitical location, it has been considered as a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The competition between Washington and Beijing over chips and artificial intelligence, simultaneously with the shifting of technological balances, has taken on new economic and security dimensions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit has created a new opportunity for Iran to transform its membership from a political achievement into economic and transit cooperation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Makkah Defense Pact can be seen as a sign of regional countries’ efforts to reduce security dependence on extra-regional powers and redefine the balance in West Asia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The division of the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan in the 38-degree orbit was considered vital and strategic for the two superpowers of the bipolar world, but its endless costs and hardships, and its profound effects on the East Asian region still remain.
Hossein Sayyahi—Researcher of international politics
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international affairs saying that the West is seeking to supply more arms to Ukraine in order to ensure its stronger position at the negotiation table with Russia to end the war.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The latest report from the Swedish think-tank Sipri, which is active in the field of weapons surveillance worldwide, shows a worrying trend in the growth of nuclear arsenals. This is despite the fact that this trend has been declining since the Cold War.
Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini—Researcher of International Law
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said that the tension and hostility between Russia and Europe has reached a level that its return to the time before the war in Ukraine is practically impossible, adding: The EU adherence to the US strategic reservations against Russia, despite high economic losses of Europe and Russia, will still continue.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of international issues mentioned the reason why Russia and China did not accompany the West on North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear missiles because of security balance considerations and balance of power versus the West and said:” new circumstances in international system caused Russia and China to strategically distance from some of their principles”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Following Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, North Korea conducted three missile tests on May 24, which observers say included two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental missile. The tests are considered as the seventeenth round of tests in that country in 2022. The latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, if confirmed, is the second since March. Such developments show that North Korea is breaking away from the “self-imposed suspension” from 2018.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani – Expert on Asia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine showed that most of the predictions that considered the idea of an attack a mere propaganda ploy and the conspiracy of Western media or regarded the interwoven global economy an obstacle hindering outbreak of war were not accurate enough.
Seyed Nader Nourbakhsh – Expert on Europe affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute for Strategic Studies saying that we are witnessing an increase in China’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa, noted: West Asia plays an important role in China’s foreign policy perspective, and given its geopolitical location, it has been considered as a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The competition between Washington and Beijing over chips and artificial intelligence, simultaneously with the shifting of technological balances, has taken on new economic and security dimensions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit has created a new opportunity for Iran to transform its membership from a political achievement into economic and transit cooperation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Makkah Defense Pact can be seen as a sign of regional countries’ efforts to reduce security dependence on extra-regional powers and redefine the balance in West Asia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The division of the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan in the 38-degree orbit was considered vital and strategic for the two superpowers of the bipolar world, but its endless costs and hardships, and its profound effects on the East Asian region still remain.
Hossein Sayyahi—Researcher of international politics
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international affairs saying that the West is seeking to supply more arms to Ukraine in order to ensure its stronger position at the negotiation table with Russia to end the war.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The latest report from the Swedish think-tank Sipri, which is active in the field of weapons surveillance worldwide, shows a worrying trend in the growth of nuclear arsenals. This is despite the fact that this trend has been declining since the Cold War.
Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini—Researcher of International Law
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said that the tension and hostility between Russia and Europe has reached a level that its return to the time before the war in Ukraine is practically impossible, adding: The EU adherence to the US strategic reservations against Russia, despite high economic losses of Europe and Russia, will still continue.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of international issues mentioned the reason why Russia and China did not accompany the West on North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear missiles because of security balance considerations and balance of power versus the West and said:” new circumstances in international system caused Russia and China to strategically distance from some of their principles”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Following Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, North Korea conducted three missile tests on May 24, which observers say included two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental missile. The tests are considered as the seventeenth round of tests in that country in 2022. The latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, if confirmed, is the second since March. Such developments show that North Korea is breaking away from the “self-imposed suspension” from 2018.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani – Expert on Asia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine showed that most of the predictions that considered the idea of an attack a mere propaganda ploy and the conspiracy of Western media or regarded the interwoven global economy an obstacle hindering outbreak of war were not accurate enough.
Seyed Nader Nourbakhsh – Expert on Europe affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute for Strategic Studies saying that we are witnessing an increase in China’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa, noted: West Asia plays an important role in China’s foreign policy perspective, and given its geopolitical location, it has been considered as a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The competition between Washington and Beijing over chips and artificial intelligence, simultaneously with the shifting of technological balances, has taken on new economic and security dimensions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit has created a new opportunity for Iran to transform its membership from a political achievement into economic and transit cooperation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Makkah Defense Pact can be seen as a sign of regional countries’ efforts to reduce security dependence on extra-regional powers and redefine the balance in West Asia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The division of the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan in the 38-degree orbit was considered vital and strategic for the two superpowers of the bipolar world, but its endless costs and hardships, and its profound effects on the East Asian region still remain.
Hossein Sayyahi—Researcher of international politics
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international affairs saying that the West is seeking to supply more arms to Ukraine in order to ensure its stronger position at the negotiation table with Russia to end the war.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The latest report from the Swedish think-tank Sipri, which is active in the field of weapons surveillance worldwide, shows a worrying trend in the growth of nuclear arsenals. This is despite the fact that this trend has been declining since the Cold War.
Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini—Researcher of International Law
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said that the tension and hostility between Russia and Europe has reached a level that its return to the time before the war in Ukraine is practically impossible, adding: The EU adherence to the US strategic reservations against Russia, despite high economic losses of Europe and Russia, will still continue.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of international issues mentioned the reason why Russia and China did not accompany the West on North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear missiles because of security balance considerations and balance of power versus the West and said:” new circumstances in international system caused Russia and China to strategically distance from some of their principles”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Following Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, North Korea conducted three missile tests on May 24, which observers say included two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental missile. The tests are considered as the seventeenth round of tests in that country in 2022. The latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, if confirmed, is the second since March. Such developments show that North Korea is breaking away from the “self-imposed suspension” from 2018.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani – Expert on Asia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine showed that most of the predictions that considered the idea of an attack a mere propaganda ploy and the conspiracy of Western media or regarded the interwoven global economy an obstacle hindering outbreak of war were not accurate enough.
Seyed Nader Nourbakhsh – Expert on Europe affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute for Strategic Studies saying that we are witnessing an increase in China’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa, noted: West Asia plays an important role in China’s foreign policy perspective, and given its geopolitical location, it has been considered as a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The competition between Washington and Beijing over chips and artificial intelligence, simultaneously with the shifting of technological balances, has taken on new economic and security dimensions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit has created a new opportunity for Iran to transform its membership from a political achievement into economic and transit cooperation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Makkah Defense Pact can be seen as a sign of regional countries’ efforts to reduce security dependence on extra-regional powers and redefine the balance in West Asia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The division of the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan in the 38-degree orbit was considered vital and strategic for the two superpowers of the bipolar world, but its endless costs and hardships, and its profound effects on the East Asian region still remain.
Hossein Sayyahi—Researcher of international politics
Strategic Council Online—Interview: The European issues researcher said about the latest round of tensions between the West and Moscow and Russia’s recent statements that it will react if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying that “the discussion of Russia’s peripheral countries joining NATO is Moscow’s red line, and the Russian attack on Ukraine was also a reaction to this country’s attempt to join NATO.”
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international affairs saying that the West is seeking to supply more arms to Ukraine in order to ensure its stronger position at the negotiation table with Russia to end the war.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The latest report from the Swedish think-tank Sipri, which is active in the field of weapons surveillance worldwide, shows a worrying trend in the growth of nuclear arsenals. This is despite the fact that this trend has been declining since the Cold War.
Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini—Researcher of International Law
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Russia affairs said that the tension and hostility between Russia and Europe has reached a level that its return to the time before the war in Ukraine is practically impossible, adding: The EU adherence to the US strategic reservations against Russia, despite high economic losses of Europe and Russia, will still continue.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of international issues mentioned the reason why Russia and China did not accompany the West on North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear missiles because of security balance considerations and balance of power versus the West and said:” new circumstances in international system caused Russia and China to strategically distance from some of their principles”.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Following Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, North Korea conducted three missile tests on May 24, which observers say included two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental missile. The tests are considered as the seventeenth round of tests in that country in 2022. The latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, if confirmed, is the second since March. Such developments show that North Korea is breaking away from the “self-imposed suspension” from 2018.
Mohammad Javad Ghahremani – Expert on Asia affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine showed that most of the predictions that considered the idea of an attack a mere propaganda ploy and the conspiracy of Western media or regarded the interwoven global economy an obstacle hindering outbreak of war were not accurate enough.
Seyed Nader Nourbakhsh – Expert on Europe affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute for Strategic Studies saying that we are witnessing an increase in China’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa, noted: West Asia plays an important role in China’s foreign policy perspective, and given its geopolitical location, it has been considered as a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The competition between Washington and Beijing over chips and artificial intelligence, simultaneously with the shifting of technological balances, has taken on new economic and security dimensions.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit has created a new opportunity for Iran to transform its membership from a political achievement into economic and transit cooperation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: The Makkah Defense Pact can be seen as a sign of regional countries’ efforts to reduce security dependence on extra-regional powers and redefine the balance in West Asia.