Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Journalist Steven Sahiounie conducted an interview with Iraqi engineer and political affairs analyst, Dr. Dhafer Mayouf Al-Taie, to discuss the latest developments in Iraq, particularly the implications of the U.S. military withdrawal, Iraq’s security sovereignty, the balance of regional influence, and the future of military and intelligence cooperation between Baghdad and Washington. 1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): Has Iraq entered a new phase of security sovereignty, or will U.S. influence continue in other forms? Dhafer Mayouf Al-Taie (DMA): With the withdrawal of U.S. forces, Iraq has entered a new phase in assuming greater responsibility…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Journalist Steven Sahiounie interviewed Dr. Suheil M. Diab, a Palestinian writer and researcher specializing in Israeli and regional affairs, about Israel’s upcoming elections, the future of its policies toward Gaza and the West Bank, relations with Iran and the Gulf states, and the political prospects surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): Could the elections lead to a change in Israeli policy toward Gaza, the West Bank and Iran, or will major security issues continue regardless of the identity of the next government? Dr. Suheil M. Diab (SMD): If the current government…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The Israel-US war on Iran has evolved into a wider geopolitical contest in which China occupies an increasingly important position. While Washington seeks to prevent Beijing from providing Tehran with military, technological or intelligence assistance, China is attempting to preserve its strategic partnership with Iran without becoming directly entangled in a confrontation with the US. The September 24, 2026, meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping took place against an increasingly complicated background. The US President greeted the Chinese President in a manner befitting the status of a rising superpower,…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Moscow’s first major resupply convoy since the August agreement reveals how Damascus and Moscow are redefining a relationship once built around war Russia has returned to Syria’s Mediterranean coast with a significant naval and logistical operation, sending a four-vessel convoy to Tartous in the first major resupply mission reported since Moscow and Damascus reached a new agreement on the future of Russia’s military presence in Syria. The movement is more than a routine logistical operation. It offers an early glimpse into how a relationship once defined by Russia’s military backing of Bashar al-Assad is…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The renewed escalation between Ansar Allah (the Houthis) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following years of calm, has set the Middle East ablaze and plunged the region into an unprecedented and dangerous escalation, particularly as the war involving the US-Israel war on Iran continues. Amid the military silence of Riyadh’s allies and Yemen’s escalation through its control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Saudi Arabia finds itself standing alone in this confrontation. Devastating strikes have had a significant impact not only on the Saudi economy but also on global energy prices Journalist Steven Sahiounie…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The US-Israel war against Iran has exposed a question that Washington may find increasingly difficult to avoid: Was this truly an American war, or did the United States become the principal military and financial force behind a conflict driven largely by Israel’s strategic agenda? Since 1992, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has identified Iran as Israel’s most dangerous regional adversary. Long before the latest confrontation, Netanyahu repeatedly warned about Iran’s nuclear program, missile capabilities and regional influence. Confronting and weakening Tehran has remained a central element of Israeli strategic thinking. Did Washington pay…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator There is no doubt that the events of October 7 fundamentally changed Israel and Palestine. It was the moment that set in motion a transformation across the entire Middle East. Reports are now emerging over whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew what was going to happen before the attack. According to Israeli media, he received warnings from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates but ignored them. Today, with Israeli elections approaching, the publication of these allegations could potentially mark the beginning of the end of Netanyahu’s political career. Did Netanyahu know what was…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator specializing in Middle East and US affairs Britain’s historic role in Palestine created the Palestinian-Israel conflict and shaped the modern Middle East. For more than seven decades, Palestinians have endured displacement, loss of land, military occupation, repeated wars and serious violations of international law. Britain’s role in the origins of the conflict is clear, particularly the 1917 Balfour Declaration and Britain’s subsequent administration of Palestine under the Mandate system. For decades, Britain was also among Israel’s important Western political allies, alongside the United States and other European powers. Yet today, a striking transformation…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator September 11, 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the downing of a plane in Pennsylvania.  Thousands of people were killed or injured in the coordinated attacks carried out that day. Before September 11, 2001, you could run to catch a flight at the last moment, without security checks, and carrying into the plane a full soft drink. Not anymore. 9/11 changed our daily lives, and changed the world we live in. One of the most profound changes after 9/11 was the invasion of Afghanistan…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Ireland is pressing the European Union (EU) to adopt a more unified and forceful response to Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling for expanded sanctions on Israel, restrictions on settlement goods and services, and a reassessment of Israel’s privileged economic relationship with the bloc. The effort comes as European governments remain sharply divided over whether to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have pushed for suspension, but the initiative has so far failed to secure sufficient support. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in April that there was…