Author: Steven Sahiounie

By Sarah Abed Last week’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, presented the perfect opportunity for dialogue and diplomacy between the United States and Iran, in what would have been a historical meeting, the first of its kind between American and Iranian leadership, since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979. World leaders from France, Germany, Britain, among others attempted to bring the two world leaders together, to no avail. President Rouhani has said that he is ready to end a nuclear standoff with the United States, if they follow through with lifting sanctions. Last year, President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015…

Steven Sahiounie political analyst, observer The border-crossing between Abu Kamal on the Syrian side and Qaim on the Iraqi side has reopened after eight years of closure.  Military commanders from both armies met at the opening ceremony resplendent with flags, rope cutting, and handshakes. Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun declared it a victory over terrorist groups, and Iraqi border authority chief Khadhim al-Ikabi looked forward to renewed economic prosperity. The crossing is an economic artery of trade and movement of people, and a new trade zone is being built on the Iraqi side of the border at Qaim, which…

Russia has successfully tested its most advanced air-defense system, the S-500 Prometey, in Syria, according to the Russian daily Izvestia. Citing sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense, the outlet reported on October 2 that the test included the “ most important elements of the S-500.” The sources told Izvestia that experts identified “certain problems” with the system during the tests. However, they were quickly fixed and the tests were declared successful. “Special attention is paid to the smooth operation of all components … the equipment was tested in harsh technical and climatic conditions,” the outlet quoted former deputy commander-in-chief…

Senior US Trade Representative (USTR) officials revealed Wednesday that the US will be imposing new tariffs on European Union products, specifically on aircraft and agricultural goods, among others. A 10% tariff will be imposed on EU aircraft, while a 25% tariff will be placed on agricultural products and goods. The measure will take effect on October 18. A full list of the products to be struck with tariffs was subsequently released by the USTR. It includes hams, cheeses, olives and even Irish and Scotch whiskies, among other products. The bulk of US tariffs will impact the UK, France, Germany and Spain since…

Seven people have been killed and over 200 injured, as Iraqi security forces crack down on protests. Demonstrators angry over corruption and unemployment put a government building on fire in one of the cities. Iraqi counter-terrorism troops opened fire on protesters with live ammunition and tear gas outside Baghdad airport on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report. The crowd had apparently been trying to storm the airport, prompting the heavy-handed response. Elsewhere in the country, seven people have been killed and more than 200 injured in clashes with security forces this week. Gunfights broke out in Nassiriya and across the…

The world must take action if Iran sells oil to Damascus, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stated, claiming that satellite images show an Iranian tanker transferring its cargo off the coast of Syria. In a tweet posted on Wednesday, Pompeo said there was reason to believe that an Iranian tanker, temporarily detained by British authorities in July, was selling oil to Syria, despite assurances from Tehran that it would not violate sanctions placed on the country. “Despite Iran FM Zarif’s promise to the UK that the #AdrianDarya1 would not deliver oil to Syria, it is now transferring oil…

US stocks fell on Wednesday for the second day in a row for a two-day loss of more than 800 points, only accelerating fears that an economic slowdown is on the horizon. US stock indices fell further on Wednesday, continuing a decline set in motion the day before following the worst manufacturing report in a decade. On Wednesday, however, a new report showed the labor market tightened in September, with employers hiring fewer new workers than in the previous month. The Dow Jones fell by 494.42 points, having fallen 343.79 points on Tuesday and being down 3% for the quarter. The Nasdaq…

By Andrew Korybko The 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China is a worthwhile time to reflect on its struggles and successes with a view towards better understanding where it’s headed across the coming future. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) celebrated its 70th anniversary on 1 October, which provides a worthwhile opportunity to reflect on the struggles and successes that it’s experienced since its founding. There’s no need to talk about what everyone already knows, namely that its economic growth over the past few decades is historically unprecedented and that it’s now the world’s second superpower…

BY ALI SHAMSABADI Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), 34-year old, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, has ascended to the throne in 2015, after the death of King Abdullah. The Crown Prince’s reckless policy has resulted in an unprecedented series of economic and political failures to his country, which has rarely happened in such a scale before. MBS, who was the Defense Minister between 2015 and 2017, refused to be less powerful than his father and the former Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef. Following MBS’s meteoric rise to power and under his guidance, the kingdom has witnessed the most dramatic events…

Following the 14 September attacks on Saudi Aramco’s oil facilities, the US together with Saudi Arabia and several European countries accused Iran of being behind the attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani that there was no evidence to blame Iran for the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities. “We condemn this [attack], but we are against shifting the blame on Iran, as there is no evidence for that,” Putin said when asked how he views the attack on Saudi oil facilities. The Russian president noted that those who orchestrated it did…