All posts tagged: Economic crisis

‘Iranians believe they have upper hand because they can endure double blockade better than US’

‘Iranians believe they have upper hand because they can endure double blockade better than US’

Published by Sam Flores

Delano D’Souza is pleased to welcome Ali Vaez, Director of Iran Project & Senior Advisor at the International Crisis Group. He examines the evolving strategic landscape between Iran and the US in the aftermath of the military and economic war. From Tehran’s perspective, the balance of leverage has shifted. Iran believes it can better withstand prolonged pressure, while Washington faces mounting political and economic constraints at home and abroad. He argues that this asymmetry shapes both sides’ negotiating behaviour.  Keywords for this article Source link

Residents pay the price as Afghanistan-Pakistan border remains closed – Focus

Residents pay the price as Afghanistan-Pakistan border remains closed – Focus

Published by Sam Flores

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been completely closed for six months, a direct consequence of the conflict between Kabul and Islamabad. Despite several mediation attempts, negotiations have failed, and the two countries remain at a diplomatic impasse in a war that has already displaced tens of thousands of people and claimed numerous lives.  For Afghanistan, a landlocked country facing a serious humanitarian crisis, the situation is even more critical: the war in Iran is blocking its only other route for international trade and severely restricting air links. The situation has plunged thousands of residents dependent on cross-border trade into unemployment and uncertainty.   FRANCE 24’s Shahzaib Wahlah and Ondine de Gaulle report, in collaboration with Sayed Aman Sadat. Source link

US not ‘postured’ for another Iraq 2003: Iran maintains vast, ‘high-quality military capability’

US not ‘postured’ for another Iraq 2003: Iran maintains vast, ‘high-quality military capability’

Published by Sam Flores

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Michael Knights, Adjunct Fellow at The Washington Institute and Head of Research at Horizon Engage. He examines the evolving military dynamics between the US and Iran, focusing on the operational possibilities available to US forces and the structural resilience of Iran’s defence strategy. According to Knights, decisive, large-scale invasions are highly unlikely. He argues that while the US possesses the capacity to execute targeted missions, Iran remains a formidable adversary, with a deeply layered and decentralised military system. Keywords for this article Source link

Iraq caught between US and Iran, facing attacks from both warring sides & Iran-aligned actors within

Iraq caught between US and Iran, facing attacks from both warring sides & Iran-aligned actors within

Published by Sam Flores

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Hayder Al-Shakeri, Research Fellow with the MENA programme at Chatham House. Al-Shakeri describes Iraq as a state navigating a precarious balance between two powerful allies whose conflict is increasingly unfolding on its own territory. This position is not merely diplomatic but deeply structural, rooted in economic dependence, security arrangements, and geographic realities that bind Iraq simultaneously to both Washington and Tehran. The lack of strong institutions, and a fully-functioning central government, constrains the state’s ability to respond. Keywords for this article Source link

US goals shift: ‘At the beginning of the Iran war, the US and Israel were on the same page’

US goals shift: ‘At the beginning of the Iran war, the US and Israel were on the same page’

Published by Sam Flores

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Dr H. A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and International Security Studies in London. He examines the evolving dynamics between Washington and Tel Aviv in the context of the war on Iran, alongside Israel’s expanding military posture in Lebanon. The central observation is that while initial strategic alignment existed, divergence has emerged, not necessarily in ultimate objectives, but in coherence, messaging, and political intent. Keywords for this article Source link

'Disaster: Attacks on gas infrastructure, in Iran and Qatar, may set us back several years'

'Disaster: Attacks on gas infrastructure, in Iran and Qatar, may set us back several years'

Published by Sam Flores

Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Dr. Adi Imsirovic, Author, Director at Surrey Clean Energy and Lecturer on Energy Systems at Oxford University. According to Dr.Imsirovic, we are witnessing a structural rupture in the norms that have quietly governed conflict in energy-producing regions for decades. Critical energy infrastructure was largely kept off the battlefield, until now. This boundary has now been breached and the consequences will affect the global supply chains for years to come. Source link

Tehran on fire as furious protesters ‘burn Iranian regime building down’ | World | News

Tehran on fire as furious protesters ‘burn Iranian regime building down’ | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Iranian regime continues to struggle to contain the protests in the Middle Eastern country, 12 days since they first started. On Thursday, January 8, several new clips emerged on social media, seemingly showing protesters taking to the streets despite fears of a crackdown.  In one of the clips, a structure described by journalist Amirhossein Miresmaeili as a “government building” could be seen engulfed by fire. Several people could be seen chanting “Long live the Shah” and clapping their hands as the scene unfolded. Recirculating a video he said to have received, the journalist said: “What an extraordinary crowd! Received from Haft Hoz Tehran, just now on 18 Dey; people, along with the chant ‘Long live the Shah’, are witnessing the burning of a government building. “The sender said: ‘Tonight, the people of Tehran have taken to the streets in response to the prince’s million-strong call.’” Another clip shared on social media showed fires in the streets of Tehran, with the poster claiming vehicles owned by Iranian forces had been set ablaze. The wave of …

‘Rioters must be put in their place,’ says Iran’s Khamenei as death toll reaches at least 10

‘Rioters must be put in their place,’ says Iran’s Khamenei as death toll reaches at least 10

Published by Sam Flores

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday acknowledged the economic demands of Iranian protesters, while warning against what he described as rioting. Read more‘Locked and loaded’: Trump says US will intervene if Iranian regime kills peaceful protesters “The president and high-ranking officials are working to resolve” the economic difficulties in the sanctions-battered country, Khamenei said in a speech marking a Shiite holiday. “The shopkeepers have protested against this situation and that is completely fair,” he added. But Khamenei nonetheless warned that while “authorities must have dialogue with protesters, it is useless to have dialogue with rioters. Those must be put in their place.” At least eight people were reported on Thursday to have been killed in the protests so far, including members of the security services, according to official figures.  Two deaths overnight into Saturday involved a new level of violence. In Qom, home to the country’s major Shiite seminaries, a grenade exploded, killing a man there, the state-owned IRAN newspaper reported. It quoted security officials alleging the man was carrying the grenade to attack …