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 – Interview: A researcher at the Research Institute of the Expediency Council stated that the defeat of Russia in the war in Ukraine would mean strengthening the political and geopolitical position of the US up to Eastern Europe, which would bring no positive consequences for China. He noted: Military blockade with China, even for Russia, is costly because, due to the difference in their power balance, this blockade may force the Russians to abandon some political and security considerations in the long run against China and stay in the shadows.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Europe affairs said that with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences, Europe had been wholly weakened in the strategic field, added: Considering the current situation and the role and the benefit of the United States in the continuation of the war, supply of financial and military aid to Ukraine and the war itself will continue and European countries will not have a fundamental change in their strategies; unless the pressure of public opinion, the anti-war power, the aggravation of the current economic conditions and the prevailing inflation and massive immigration, can limit the measures of European countries.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, saying that Baku is trying to discredit Russia in the developments in the Caucasus, referred to the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States and noted: Washington, to compensate for its diplomatic backwardness in the second Karabakh war, is trying to create an alternative to the Russian mechanism and push the developments in a direction that is against the interests of Iran and Russia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The two-day visit of Mr. Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Syria is important from different dimensions. This trip, which has had many reflections in the media and political circles of the region, has a vital role in the implementation of dozens of economic and commercial agreements, as well as the signing of new military and security agreements, which were agreed upon by the parties during the past years but were not fully implemented.
Barsam Mohammadi—Expert in regional issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute of Strategic Studies says there has been a change in the global energy transmission lines after the Ukraine war began. He noted: With the continued shift in the oil trade routes of Russia, India and China have become strategic business partners for Moscow. This development has taken place in the shadow of the decline of the US influence among its key allies in the Middle East.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf are witnessing “positive movements”; the countries that used to be on the opposite front have abandoned previous policies and are moving towards interaction and resumption of bilateral relations.
Barsam Mohammadi – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest opinion: Amidst talks about Iran’s essential issues and challenges in the current calendar year, what quickly comes into one’s mind is the debate on economic disturbances and people’s livelihood problems. This is even though, in today’s interconnected world, we can safely say that the root of many domestic financial problems lies in foreign policy and international relations of the country; however, this does not mean minimizing the importance of managerial inefficiencies and the weakness and inadequacy of some internal executive and supervisory institutions.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri – University professor
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The placement of nuclear weapons of NATO and Russia near each other’s borders will increase the risk of tensions and entry of the US and Russia into a hot war and face the non-proliferation and progress in the field of nuclear disarmament with serious risks. Meantime, Non-nuclear countries are forced to take countermeasures to ensure their security.
Pouria Nabipour – Ph.D. in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
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 – Interview: A researcher at the Research Institute of the Expediency Council stated that the defeat of Russia in the war in Ukraine would mean strengthening the political and geopolitical position of the US up to Eastern Europe, which would bring no positive consequences for China. He noted: Military blockade with China, even for Russia, is costly because, due to the difference in their power balance, this blockade may force the Russians to abandon some political and security considerations in the long run against China and stay in the shadows.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Europe affairs said that with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences, Europe had been wholly weakened in the strategic field, added: Considering the current situation and the role and the benefit of the United States in the continuation of the war, supply of financial and military aid to Ukraine and the war itself will continue and European countries will not have a fundamental change in their strategies; unless the pressure of public opinion, the anti-war power, the aggravation of the current economic conditions and the prevailing inflation and massive immigration, can limit the measures of European countries.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, saying that Baku is trying to discredit Russia in the developments in the Caucasus, referred to the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States and noted: Washington, to compensate for its diplomatic backwardness in the second Karabakh war, is trying to create an alternative to the Russian mechanism and push the developments in a direction that is against the interests of Iran and Russia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The two-day visit of Mr. Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Syria is important from different dimensions. This trip, which has had many reflections in the media and political circles of the region, has a vital role in the implementation of dozens of economic and commercial agreements, as well as the signing of new military and security agreements, which were agreed upon by the parties during the past years but were not fully implemented.
Barsam Mohammadi—Expert in regional issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute of Strategic Studies says there has been a change in the global energy transmission lines after the Ukraine war began. He noted: With the continued shift in the oil trade routes of Russia, India and China have become strategic business partners for Moscow. This development has taken place in the shadow of the decline of the US influence among its key allies in the Middle East.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf are witnessing “positive movements”; the countries that used to be on the opposite front have abandoned previous policies and are moving towards interaction and resumption of bilateral relations.
Barsam Mohammadi – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest opinion: Amidst talks about Iran’s essential issues and challenges in the current calendar year, what quickly comes into one’s mind is the debate on economic disturbances and people’s livelihood problems. This is even though, in today’s interconnected world, we can safely say that the root of many domestic financial problems lies in foreign policy and international relations of the country; however, this does not mean minimizing the importance of managerial inefficiencies and the weakness and inadequacy of some internal executive and supervisory institutions.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri – University professor
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The placement of nuclear weapons of NATO and Russia near each other’s borders will increase the risk of tensions and entry of the US and Russia into a hot war and face the non-proliferation and progress in the field of nuclear disarmament with serious risks. Meantime, Non-nuclear countries are forced to take countermeasures to ensure their security.
Pouria Nabipour – Ph.D. in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher at the Research Institute of the Expediency Council stated that the defeat of Russia in the war in Ukraine would mean strengthening the political and geopolitical position of the US up to Eastern Europe, which would bring no positive consequences for China. He noted: Military blockade with China, even for Russia, is costly because, due to the difference in their power balance, this blockade may force the Russians to abandon some political and security considerations in the long run against China and stay in the shadows.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Europe affairs said that with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences, Europe had been wholly weakened in the strategic field, added: Considering the current situation and the role and the benefit of the United States in the continuation of the war, supply of financial and military aid to Ukraine and the war itself will continue and European countries will not have a fundamental change in their strategies; unless the pressure of public opinion, the anti-war power, the aggravation of the current economic conditions and the prevailing inflation and massive immigration, can limit the measures of European countries.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, saying that Baku is trying to discredit Russia in the developments in the Caucasus, referred to the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States and noted: Washington, to compensate for its diplomatic backwardness in the second Karabakh war, is trying to create an alternative to the Russian mechanism and push the developments in a direction that is against the interests of Iran and Russia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The two-day visit of Mr. Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Syria is important from different dimensions. This trip, which has had many reflections in the media and political circles of the region, has a vital role in the implementation of dozens of economic and commercial agreements, as well as the signing of new military and security agreements, which were agreed upon by the parties during the past years but were not fully implemented.
Barsam Mohammadi—Expert in regional issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute of Strategic Studies says there has been a change in the global energy transmission lines after the Ukraine war began. He noted: With the continued shift in the oil trade routes of Russia, India and China have become strategic business partners for Moscow. This development has taken place in the shadow of the decline of the US influence among its key allies in the Middle East.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf are witnessing “positive movements”; the countries that used to be on the opposite front have abandoned previous policies and are moving towards interaction and resumption of bilateral relations.
Barsam Mohammadi – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest opinion: Amidst talks about Iran’s essential issues and challenges in the current calendar year, what quickly comes into one’s mind is the debate on economic disturbances and people’s livelihood problems. This is even though, in today’s interconnected world, we can safely say that the root of many domestic financial problems lies in foreign policy and international relations of the country; however, this does not mean minimizing the importance of managerial inefficiencies and the weakness and inadequacy of some internal executive and supervisory institutions.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri – University professor
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The placement of nuclear weapons of NATO and Russia near each other’s borders will increase the risk of tensions and entry of the US and Russia into a hot war and face the non-proliferation and progress in the field of nuclear disarmament with serious risks. Meantime, Non-nuclear countries are forced to take countermeasures to ensure their security.
Pouria Nabipour – Ph.D. in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
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 – Interview: A researcher at the Research Institute of the Expediency Council stated that the defeat of Russia in the war in Ukraine would mean strengthening the political and geopolitical position of the US up to Eastern Europe, which would bring no positive consequences for China. He noted: Military blockade with China, even for Russia, is costly because, due to the difference in their power balance, this blockade may force the Russians to abandon some political and security considerations in the long run against China and stay in the shadows.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Europe affairs said that with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences, Europe had been wholly weakened in the strategic field, added: Considering the current situation and the role and the benefit of the United States in the continuation of the war, supply of financial and military aid to Ukraine and the war itself will continue and European countries will not have a fundamental change in their strategies; unless the pressure of public opinion, the anti-war power, the aggravation of the current economic conditions and the prevailing inflation and massive immigration, can limit the measures of European countries.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, saying that Baku is trying to discredit Russia in the developments in the Caucasus, referred to the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States and noted: Washington, to compensate for its diplomatic backwardness in the second Karabakh war, is trying to create an alternative to the Russian mechanism and push the developments in a direction that is against the interests of Iran and Russia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The two-day visit of Mr. Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Syria is important from different dimensions. This trip, which has had many reflections in the media and political circles of the region, has a vital role in the implementation of dozens of economic and commercial agreements, as well as the signing of new military and security agreements, which were agreed upon by the parties during the past years but were not fully implemented.
Barsam Mohammadi—Expert in regional issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute of Strategic Studies says there has been a change in the global energy transmission lines after the Ukraine war began. He noted: With the continued shift in the oil trade routes of Russia, India and China have become strategic business partners for Moscow. This development has taken place in the shadow of the decline of the US influence among its key allies in the Middle East.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf are witnessing “positive movements”; the countries that used to be on the opposite front have abandoned previous policies and are moving towards interaction and resumption of bilateral relations.
Barsam Mohammadi – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest opinion: Amidst talks about Iran’s essential issues and challenges in the current calendar year, what quickly comes into one’s mind is the debate on economic disturbances and people’s livelihood problems. This is even though, in today’s interconnected world, we can safely say that the root of many domestic financial problems lies in foreign policy and international relations of the country; however, this does not mean minimizing the importance of managerial inefficiencies and the weakness and inadequacy of some internal executive and supervisory institutions.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri – University professor
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The placement of nuclear weapons of NATO and Russia near each other’s borders will increase the risk of tensions and entry of the US and Russia into a hot war and face the non-proliferation and progress in the field of nuclear disarmament with serious risks. Meantime, Non-nuclear countries are forced to take countermeasures to ensure their security.
Pouria Nabipour – Ph.D. in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
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 – Interview: A researcher at the Research Institute of the Expediency Council stated that the defeat of Russia in the war in Ukraine would mean strengthening the political and geopolitical position of the US up to Eastern Europe, which would bring no positive consequences for China. He noted: Military blockade with China, even for Russia, is costly because, due to the difference in their power balance, this blockade may force the Russians to abandon some political and security considerations in the long run against China and stay in the shadows.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Europe affairs said that with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences, Europe had been wholly weakened in the strategic field, added: Considering the current situation and the role and the benefit of the United States in the continuation of the war, supply of financial and military aid to Ukraine and the war itself will continue and European countries will not have a fundamental change in their strategies; unless the pressure of public opinion, the anti-war power, the aggravation of the current economic conditions and the prevailing inflation and massive immigration, can limit the measures of European countries.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, saying that Baku is trying to discredit Russia in the developments in the Caucasus, referred to the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States and noted: Washington, to compensate for its diplomatic backwardness in the second Karabakh war, is trying to create an alternative to the Russian mechanism and push the developments in a direction that is against the interests of Iran and Russia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The two-day visit of Mr. Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Syria is important from different dimensions. This trip, which has had many reflections in the media and political circles of the region, has a vital role in the implementation of dozens of economic and commercial agreements, as well as the signing of new military and security agreements, which were agreed upon by the parties during the past years but were not fully implemented.
Barsam Mohammadi—Expert in regional issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute of Strategic Studies says there has been a change in the global energy transmission lines after the Ukraine war began. He noted: With the continued shift in the oil trade routes of Russia, India and China have become strategic business partners for Moscow. This development has taken place in the shadow of the decline of the US influence among its key allies in the Middle East.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf are witnessing “positive movements”; the countries that used to be on the opposite front have abandoned previous policies and are moving towards interaction and resumption of bilateral relations.
Barsam Mohammadi – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest opinion: Amidst talks about Iran’s essential issues and challenges in the current calendar year, what quickly comes into one’s mind is the debate on economic disturbances and people’s livelihood problems. This is even though, in today’s interconnected world, we can safely say that the root of many domestic financial problems lies in foreign policy and international relations of the country; however, this does not mean minimizing the importance of managerial inefficiencies and the weakness and inadequacy of some internal executive and supervisory institutions.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri – University professor
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The placement of nuclear weapons of NATO and Russia near each other’s borders will increase the risk of tensions and entry of the US and Russia into a hot war and face the non-proliferation and progress in the field of nuclear disarmament with serious risks. Meantime, Non-nuclear countries are forced to take countermeasures to ensure their security.
Pouria Nabipour – Ph.D. in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
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 – Interview: A researcher at the Research Institute of the Expediency Council stated that the defeat of Russia in the war in Ukraine would mean strengthening the political and geopolitical position of the US up to Eastern Europe, which would bring no positive consequences for China. He noted: Military blockade with China, even for Russia, is costly because, due to the difference in their power balance, this blockade may force the Russians to abandon some political and security considerations in the long run against China and stay in the shadows.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Europe affairs said that with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences, Europe had been wholly weakened in the strategic field, added: Considering the current situation and the role and the benefit of the United States in the continuation of the war, supply of financial and military aid to Ukraine and the war itself will continue and European countries will not have a fundamental change in their strategies; unless the pressure of public opinion, the anti-war power, the aggravation of the current economic conditions and the prevailing inflation and massive immigration, can limit the measures of European countries.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, saying that Baku is trying to discredit Russia in the developments in the Caucasus, referred to the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States and noted: Washington, to compensate for its diplomatic backwardness in the second Karabakh war, is trying to create an alternative to the Russian mechanism and push the developments in a direction that is against the interests of Iran and Russia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The two-day visit of Mr. Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Syria is important from different dimensions. This trip, which has had many reflections in the media and political circles of the region, has a vital role in the implementation of dozens of economic and commercial agreements, as well as the signing of new military and security agreements, which were agreed upon by the parties during the past years but were not fully implemented.
Barsam Mohammadi—Expert in regional issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute of Strategic Studies says there has been a change in the global energy transmission lines after the Ukraine war began. He noted: With the continued shift in the oil trade routes of Russia, India and China have become strategic business partners for Moscow. This development has taken place in the shadow of the decline of the US influence among its key allies in the Middle East.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf are witnessing “positive movements”; the countries that used to be on the opposite front have abandoned previous policies and are moving towards interaction and resumption of bilateral relations.
Barsam Mohammadi – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest opinion: Amidst talks about Iran’s essential issues and challenges in the current calendar year, what quickly comes into one’s mind is the debate on economic disturbances and people’s livelihood problems. This is even though, in today’s interconnected world, we can safely say that the root of many domestic financial problems lies in foreign policy and international relations of the country; however, this does not mean minimizing the importance of managerial inefficiencies and the weakness and inadequacy of some internal executive and supervisory institutions.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri – University professor
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The placement of nuclear weapons of NATO and Russia near each other’s borders will increase the risk of tensions and entry of the US and Russia into a hot war and face the non-proliferation and progress in the field of nuclear disarmament with serious risks. Meantime, Non-nuclear countries are forced to take countermeasures to ensure their security.
Pouria Nabipour – Ph.D. in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
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 – Interview: A researcher at the Research Institute of the Expediency Council stated that the defeat of Russia in the war in Ukraine would mean strengthening the political and geopolitical position of the US up to Eastern Europe, which would bring no positive consequences for China. He noted: Military blockade with China, even for Russia, is costly because, due to the difference in their power balance, this blockade may force the Russians to abandon some political and security considerations in the long run against China and stay in the shadows.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Europe affairs said that with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences, Europe had been wholly weakened in the strategic field, added: Considering the current situation and the role and the benefit of the United States in the continuation of the war, supply of financial and military aid to Ukraine and the war itself will continue and European countries will not have a fundamental change in their strategies; unless the pressure of public opinion, the anti-war power, the aggravation of the current economic conditions and the prevailing inflation and massive immigration, can limit the measures of European countries.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An analyst of Turkey affairs considered the results of the first round of the elections as a kind of victory for Erdogan and said: With the victory of Kılıçdaroğlu, some regional changes might be witnessed, but in any case, it seems that the winner of the elections will face a series of internal problems and those problems will be aggravated if Kılıçdaroğlu wins.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on international law, saying that Baku is trying to discredit Russia in the developments in the Caucasus, referred to the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States and noted: Washington, to compensate for its diplomatic backwardness in the second Karabakh war, is trying to create an alternative to the Russian mechanism and push the developments in a direction that is against the interests of Iran and Russia.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: The two-day visit of Mr. Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Syria is important from different dimensions. This trip, which has had many reflections in the media and political circles of the region, has a vital role in the implementation of dozens of economic and commercial agreements, as well as the signing of new military and security agreements, which were agreed upon by the parties during the past years but were not fully implemented.
Barsam Mohammadi—Expert in regional issues
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A faculty member of the Institute of Strategic Studies says there has been a change in the global energy transmission lines after the Ukraine war began. He noted: With the continued shift in the oil trade routes of Russia, India and China have become strategic business partners for Moscow. This development has taken place in the shadow of the decline of the US influence among its key allies in the Middle East.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf are witnessing “positive movements”; the countries that used to be on the opposite front have abandoned previous policies and are moving towards interaction and resumption of bilateral relations.
Barsam Mohammadi – Expert on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest opinion: Amidst talks about Iran’s essential issues and challenges in the current calendar year, what quickly comes into one’s mind is the debate on economic disturbances and people’s livelihood problems. This is even though, in today’s interconnected world, we can safely say that the root of many domestic financial problems lies in foreign policy and international relations of the country; however, this does not mean minimizing the importance of managerial inefficiencies and the weakness and inadequacy of some internal executive and supervisory institutions.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Mazaheri – University professor
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The placement of nuclear weapons of NATO and Russia near each other’s borders will increase the risk of tensions and entry of the US and Russia into a hot war and face the non-proliferation and progress in the field of nuclear disarmament with serious risks. Meantime, Non-nuclear countries are forced to take countermeasures to ensure their security.
Pouria Nabipour – Ph.D. in political science and international relations
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A former Iranian diplomat said that the main challenges and concerns of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan, which had been raised in the first meeting in Samarkand, were prominent in the second meeting as well, adding: The Taliban have come to power by force of arms and all the past concerns are still standing about the future situation of Afghanistan.
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.