Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator US-Russia relations are at a new low. The US has slapped new sanctions on Russia in response to accusations of cyberattack and election meddling. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service was accused of being behind the SolarWinds hack. Russia has asked to expel 10 American diplomates in a ‘tit for tat response’. US President Biden has suggested a summit with Russian President Putin, which would be the first of its kind since 2018. In an effort to understand the issues behind today’s headlines, Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Shahzada Rahim, a geopolitical analyst based in…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On April 11, the Natanz uranium enrichment site was attacked. An explosion destroyed the internal power system for thousands of underground centrifuges, which form the main Iranian nuclear enrichment program. Israeli media attributed the attack to Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, which is capable of cyber-sabotage. The blast had created a crater so large that Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, had injured his head, back, leg and arm after falling into it.  Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the attack “could have led to a catastrophe that is a…

By Rick Rozoff, Turkey has confirmed an earlier CNN report that the U.S. will send warships to the Black Sea in what a Pentagon official cited by CNN said was a demonstration of support to the government of Ukraine in response to claims of increased Russian military presence on Ukraine’s eastern border. The Black Sea is nowhere near the current conflict zone in the Donbass, further east of which the alleged Russian build-up is occurring. Under terms of the 1936 Montreux Convention naval vessels from non-littoral nations have to notify Turkey, whose territory the Dardanelles and Bosporus Straits linking the…

By: Manlio Dinucci, journalist and Researcher Ten years ago, on March 19, 2011, US/NATO forces began their bombardment of Libya by air and by sea. The war was initiated directly by the United States, first through Africa Command (AFRICOM), and then through NATO under US command. Over the course of seven months, US/NATO airplanes carried out 30,000 missions, including 10,000 strikes involving over 40,000 bombs and missiles. Italy – with the consensus of its multi-party Parliament (with the Democratic Party-Pd in the front row) – played a part in the war, providing seven air bases (Trapani, Gioia del Colle, Sigonella,…

Steven Sahiounie, Journalist and political commentator US Europe Command has raised its posture to the highest level, “potential imminent threat”, as USAF surveillance flights have tracked Russia’s border over the past 48 hours. The current flare of tensions sparked on March 26, when four Ukrainian military servicemen were killed by a landmine while inspecting minefields near the village of Shumy. Kiev and their partners the US and NATO used the deaths to blame the forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic, who denied any attacks. Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidential spokesman, said the Kremlin was worried the Ukrainian side might create…

The need for alternative international shipping routes has been highlighted by events on the Suez Canal over the past week. And with their plans already taking shape, Beijing and Moscow are well positioned to capitalise. The Suez Canal’s recent spell in the limelight has turned out to be quite revealing. The strategic waterway has dominated headlines for a week after a giant container ship, the Ever Given, got stuck in sand and mud at the canal’s southern end, blocking it and bringing shipping to a halt. The welcome news emerged yesterday that the crisis is finally over and shipping can…

The United States continues to pursue its duplicitous mission in Syria by strengthening its already savage sanctions on one hand and announcing aid packages to the war-ravaged country on the other hand. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday announced $596 million worth of what he called “humanitarian aid” to Syria, stressing that military solution will not bring peace to the country. It comes as the draconian US sanctions coupled by unrestrained military aggression continue to take a heavy toll on Syrian civilians after a decade of West-imposed war. The top US diplomat said the aid money will benefit millions…

Yemen’s army and Popular Committees have liberated more areas from Saudi Arabia-led forces in the countryside of Ma’rib, the capital of a west-central province of the same name. The victories came about on Tuesday across the city’s western and north-western suburbs, al-Khabar al-Yemeni news website reported. The Yemeni forces have resumed their advances against the aggressors in the province since Saturday, it said. Ever since, they have managed to take back many areas, including some parts of the province’s Sirwah District and a large number of garrisons close to the Sahn al-Jin military camp in Ma’rib. The camp hosts the…

A senior Iranian official has told Press TV that Tehran will not stop 20-percent uranium enrichment before the US sanctions are lifted. “20-percent uranium enrichment is in line with Paragraph 36 of the JCPOA and will be stopped only if the US lifts all the sanctions,” the official said on Monday evening. The Iranian official said the country will not stop any of its current nuclear activities before the removal of all sanctions. “The Biden administration is losing time, and if it fails to lift the sanctions soon, Iran will take the next steps, which will be further reduction of…

The commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Titov, indicated that the Mi-35 attack helicopters provide fire cover for Russian military cargo planes at the Hmeimim air base in western Syria. He said, as reported by RT Arabic, “We provided fire cover for transport planes, using Mi-35 helicopters. Protecting military cargo planes is important as they transport personnel and equipment.” He stressed, “our mission is to cover,” as he discussed the use of the Mi-35 attack helicopters during the Russian military intervention inside Syria. “By air, the main attention is being paid to the perimeter of the base,…