SCFR Online – Opinion: Concurrent with the official commencement of the United States’ economic war against our country, focusing on sanctions instruments, isolation, and economic pressure, what has now become increasingly important is the lack of alignment of other major global powers, especially China, with this policy.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US sanctions against Iran, despite extensive propaganda, face serious obstacles to success due to the ineffectiveness of sanctions tools and opposition from some of Tehran’s trading partners.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Following military failure, Trump has announced the implementation of sanctions and old economic pressures under the new label of “unprecedented economic operation” against Iran; however, Tehran can neutralize this blockade through four specific strategies.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Two contrasting narratives of Trump’s foreign policy – one “crisis as doctrine” and the other a “coherent doctrine” – present a complex picture of America’s attempt to redefine its role in the international system.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey under the motto “an attack on one is an attack on all,” is viewed by some analysts less as a full-fledged military coalition and more as an attempt to reduce security dependence on an external power and to establish a regional security mechanism.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US-Saudi nuclear agreement, despite legal and political ambiguities, could alter previous non-proliferation standards in West Asia and intensify nuclear competition, ushering it into a new phase.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Recent developments in Syria indicate an intensification of strategic rivalry between Turkey and the Israeli regime, but mutual considerations and the role of the United States have limited the likelihood of direct war.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The future of the so-called Trump peace plan for Gaza, despite claims of an agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, remains shrouded in ambiguity due to structural deficiencies and opposition from key actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Concurrent with the official commencement of the United States’ economic war against our country, focusing on sanctions instruments, isolation, and economic pressure, what has now become increasingly important is the lack of alignment of other major global powers, especially China, with this policy.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US sanctions against Iran, despite extensive propaganda, face serious obstacles to success due to the ineffectiveness of sanctions tools and opposition from some of Tehran’s trading partners.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Following military failure, Trump has announced the implementation of sanctions and old economic pressures under the new label of “unprecedented economic operation” against Iran; however, Tehran can neutralize this blockade through four specific strategies.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Two contrasting narratives of Trump’s foreign policy – one “crisis as doctrine” and the other a “coherent doctrine” – present a complex picture of America’s attempt to redefine its role in the international system.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey under the motto “an attack on one is an attack on all,” is viewed by some analysts less as a full-fledged military coalition and more as an attempt to reduce security dependence on an external power and to establish a regional security mechanism.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US-Saudi nuclear agreement, despite legal and political ambiguities, could alter previous non-proliferation standards in West Asia and intensify nuclear competition, ushering it into a new phase.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Recent developments in Syria indicate an intensification of strategic rivalry between Turkey and the Israeli regime, but mutual considerations and the role of the United States have limited the likelihood of direct war.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The future of the so-called Trump peace plan for Gaza, despite claims of an agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, remains shrouded in ambiguity due to structural deficiencies and opposition from key actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Concurrent with the official commencement of the United States’ economic war against our country, focusing on sanctions instruments, isolation, and economic pressure, what has now become increasingly important is the lack of alignment of other major global powers, especially China, with this policy.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US sanctions against Iran, despite extensive propaganda, face serious obstacles to success due to the ineffectiveness of sanctions tools and opposition from some of Tehran’s trading partners.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Following military failure, Trump has announced the implementation of sanctions and old economic pressures under the new label of “unprecedented economic operation” against Iran; however, Tehran can neutralize this blockade through four specific strategies.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Two contrasting narratives of Trump’s foreign policy – one “crisis as doctrine” and the other a “coherent doctrine” – present a complex picture of America’s attempt to redefine its role in the international system.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey under the motto “an attack on one is an attack on all,” is viewed by some analysts less as a full-fledged military coalition and more as an attempt to reduce security dependence on an external power and to establish a regional security mechanism.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US-Saudi nuclear agreement, despite legal and political ambiguities, could alter previous non-proliferation standards in West Asia and intensify nuclear competition, ushering it into a new phase.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Recent developments in Syria indicate an intensification of strategic rivalry between Turkey and the Israeli regime, but mutual considerations and the role of the United States have limited the likelihood of direct war.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The future of the so-called Trump peace plan for Gaza, despite claims of an agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, remains shrouded in ambiguity due to structural deficiencies and opposition from key actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Concurrent with the official commencement of the United States’ economic war against our country, focusing on sanctions instruments, isolation, and economic pressure, what has now become increasingly important is the lack of alignment of other major global powers, especially China, with this policy.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US sanctions against Iran, despite extensive propaganda, face serious obstacles to success due to the ineffectiveness of sanctions tools and opposition from some of Tehran’s trading partners.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Following military failure, Trump has announced the implementation of sanctions and old economic pressures under the new label of “unprecedented economic operation” against Iran; however, Tehran can neutralize this blockade through four specific strategies.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Two contrasting narratives of Trump’s foreign policy – one “crisis as doctrine” and the other a “coherent doctrine” – present a complex picture of America’s attempt to redefine its role in the international system.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey under the motto “an attack on one is an attack on all,” is viewed by some analysts less as a full-fledged military coalition and more as an attempt to reduce security dependence on an external power and to establish a regional security mechanism.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US-Saudi nuclear agreement, despite legal and political ambiguities, could alter previous non-proliferation standards in West Asia and intensify nuclear competition, ushering it into a new phase.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Recent developments in Syria indicate an intensification of strategic rivalry between Turkey and the Israeli regime, but mutual considerations and the role of the United States have limited the likelihood of direct war.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The future of the so-called Trump peace plan for Gaza, despite claims of an agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, remains shrouded in ambiguity due to structural deficiencies and opposition from key actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Concurrent with the official commencement of the United States’ economic war against our country, focusing on sanctions instruments, isolation, and economic pressure, what has now become increasingly important is the lack of alignment of other major global powers, especially China, with this policy.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US sanctions against Iran, despite extensive propaganda, face serious obstacles to success due to the ineffectiveness of sanctions tools and opposition from some of Tehran’s trading partners.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Following military failure, Trump has announced the implementation of sanctions and old economic pressures under the new label of “unprecedented economic operation” against Iran; however, Tehran can neutralize this blockade through four specific strategies.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Two contrasting narratives of Trump’s foreign policy – one “crisis as doctrine” and the other a “coherent doctrine” – present a complex picture of America’s attempt to redefine its role in the international system.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey under the motto “an attack on one is an attack on all,” is viewed by some analysts less as a full-fledged military coalition and more as an attempt to reduce security dependence on an external power and to establish a regional security mechanism.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US-Saudi nuclear agreement, despite legal and political ambiguities, could alter previous non-proliferation standards in West Asia and intensify nuclear competition, ushering it into a new phase.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Recent developments in Syria indicate an intensification of strategic rivalry between Turkey and the Israeli regime, but mutual considerations and the role of the United States have limited the likelihood of direct war.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The future of the so-called Trump peace plan for Gaza, despite claims of an agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, remains shrouded in ambiguity due to structural deficiencies and opposition from key actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Concurrent with the official commencement of the United States’ economic war against our country, focusing on sanctions instruments, isolation, and economic pressure, what has now become increasingly important is the lack of alignment of other major global powers, especially China, with this policy.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US sanctions against Iran, despite extensive propaganda, face serious obstacles to success due to the ineffectiveness of sanctions tools and opposition from some of Tehran’s trading partners.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Following military failure, Trump has announced the implementation of sanctions and old economic pressures under the new label of “unprecedented economic operation” against Iran; however, Tehran can neutralize this blockade through four specific strategies.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Two contrasting narratives of Trump’s foreign policy – one “crisis as doctrine” and the other a “coherent doctrine” – present a complex picture of America’s attempt to redefine its role in the international system.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey under the motto “an attack on one is an attack on all,” is viewed by some analysts less as a full-fledged military coalition and more as an attempt to reduce security dependence on an external power and to establish a regional security mechanism.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US-Saudi nuclear agreement, despite legal and political ambiguities, could alter previous non-proliferation standards in West Asia and intensify nuclear competition, ushering it into a new phase.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Recent developments in Syria indicate an intensification of strategic rivalry between Turkey and the Israeli regime, but mutual considerations and the role of the United States have limited the likelihood of direct war.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The future of the so-called Trump peace plan for Gaza, despite claims of an agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, remains shrouded in ambiguity due to structural deficiencies and opposition from key actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An American affairs expert stated that in recent weeks, U.S. policy toward Venezuela has undergone a distinct redefinition, shifting toward hard power tools. According to media reports, during Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House reviewed options for military operations “against drug cartels”. It even introduced a deadly attack on a suspected boat leaving Venezuelan waters as the beginning of a new phase of its campaign. This approach has been reinforced by the deployment of significant military assets to the Caribbean periphery, including cruisers equipped with cruise missiles and attack submarines, as well as the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. It is complemented by labeling Nicolás Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and doubling the bounty for his capture.
Although Trump, when asked about “regime change,” said, “We’re not discussing that,” by linking Venezuela to the anti-drug mission, he has effectively redefined the “maximum pressure” strategy within a security-military framework. At the regional level, the resurgence of the old concept of “gunboat diplomacy” in America’s backyard sends a deterrent message to Caracas and its allies on one hand, while increasing the risk of sliding into proxy and attritional conflicts on the other. At the structural level, the merging of U.S. domestic considerations, including the “crackdown on drug trafficking” agenda, with geopolitical calculations to control energy resources and routes of influence, indicates that the Venezuela issue is not merely a criminal-security matter but rather a reflection of great power competition and a test of the resilience of the Latin American regional order—an order that, with each crisis escalation, simultaneously creates opportunities and threats for both extra-regional and regional actors.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Latin America affairs commenting on the resumption of negotiations between the Venezuelan government and political opposition after a year-long suspension and the subsequent reduction of some US sanctions against Nicolas Maduro’s government, said: These days, in terms of the American foreign policy, Venezuela is preferred in comparison to many countries, including some countries in the Middle East; because they can deal with this country more easily and due to its proximity, they buy cheaper oil from Caracas.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, two important events occurred in the energy market; first, the negative expectation shock in the field of oil supply, which led to an unprecedented rise in oil prices in recent years and second, the European and American approach to Russian energy (oil and gas) imports has intensified efforts to find alternative resources.
Reza Majidzadeh – Director of Simorgh Development Working Group, Pasargad Millennium Plan Institute
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Latin America witnessed an intensive period of presidential, parliamentary and local elections that created an upheaval turn in the policies of the regional countries. Within the past few months, the victory of justice-oriented parties in some of Latin American countries, especially the victory of leftist candidate in Chilean presidential election challenged Washington’s effort to preserve its interventionist position in the region.
Mahmoud Fazeli, Analyst of International Affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: Having said livelihood and tendency towards socialism and leftism in a Latin American neoliberal country like Chile is noticeable, a university professor added:” Now, restoration of political and economic stability is a priority in the country and the leftist president of Chile is making effort to put an end to economic based protests in Chile.
Strategic Council Online – An analyst of international affairs called the US sanctions against Iran a perfect example of human rights violation.
Strategic Council Online—Editorial: The failure of the efforts of Juan Guaido, the self-declared president of Venezuela who had called the people of his country to rise against the elected government of Venezuela, was the fruit of the resistance of the people and Nicolas Maduro, the country’s legal president against the Western pressures especially the United States.
Mirqasem Momeni—Director of Abrar Novin Cheshmandaz International Studies Institute
Strategic Council Online – Secretary of the Policy Council of the Anti-Sanctions Club, emphasizing the need for practical actions by the 16 member states of the Anti-Sanctions Coalition, said: If this coalition is the beginning of a serious new movement and help other measures to counter sanctions, it is useful; the coalition should be able to hold a summit at the level of heads or foreign ministers and then reach a structure and organization, not just issue a concluding statement.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Given Europe’s coordination with Biden’s administration, the West, including Europe and the United States in general, is likely to pursue a common policy toward Venezuela.
Dr. Hadi Aalami Fariman – Expert on Latin America affairs
Strategic Council Online – Professor of the Department of American Studies at the University of Tehran called the decisions of Trump administration in foreign policy as confusing and unpredictable, and said: The most important legacy of the four-year Trump administration, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, is to accept the bitter fact that the United States can no longer maintain its policy of global supremacy alongside domestic economic stability.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Concurrent with the official commencement of the United States’ economic war against our country, focusing on sanctions instruments, isolation, and economic pressure, what has now become increasingly important is the lack of alignment of other major global powers, especially China, with this policy.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US sanctions against Iran, despite extensive propaganda, face serious obstacles to success due to the ineffectiveness of sanctions tools and opposition from some of Tehran’s trading partners.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Following military failure, Trump has announced the implementation of sanctions and old economic pressures under the new label of “unprecedented economic operation” against Iran; however, Tehran can neutralize this blockade through four specific strategies.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Two contrasting narratives of Trump’s foreign policy – one “crisis as doctrine” and the other a “coherent doctrine” – present a complex picture of America’s attempt to redefine its role in the international system.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Makkah Pact, signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey under the motto “an attack on one is an attack on all,” is viewed by some analysts less as a full-fledged military coalition and more as an attempt to reduce security dependence on an external power and to establish a regional security mechanism.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The new US-Saudi nuclear agreement, despite legal and political ambiguities, could alter previous non-proliferation standards in West Asia and intensify nuclear competition, ushering it into a new phase.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Recent developments in Syria indicate an intensification of strategic rivalry between Turkey and the Israeli regime, but mutual considerations and the role of the United States have limited the likelihood of direct war.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The future of the so-called Trump peace plan for Gaza, despite claims of an agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, remains shrouded in ambiguity due to structural deficiencies and opposition from key actors.