Why Iran Is the US’s Go-To Enemy in the Middle East
Reading Time: 17 minutes Iran has been stuck in the craw of US foreign policy for 40 years. Longtime Iran expert Gary Sick looks at how we got to where we are today.
To the Brink of War, With No Upside
Reading Time: 13 minutes A surprising conversation about Iran with prominent Middle East scholar Stephen Zunes.
Culture: In the Trump Era, It Has a Whole New Meaning
Reading Time: < 1 minute One “highlight” of the recent crisis involving the US and Iran was President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to attack cultural sites in Iran, which would be a brazen violation of the Geneva Conventions and other international laws.
The New York Times’s Odd Plane-Strike Video
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s not clear how it is that video cameras were on hand to capture Wednesday’s 6 AM downing of the Ukrainian jetliner near Tehran. Does that suggest it wasn’t the accident officials claim it was?
The World Fears Trump More Than It Fears Iran
Reading Time: 4 minutes The rest of the world is bewildered by President Donald Trump’s decision to escalate tensions with Iran. Nothing we are seeing in the international press bodes well for the US.
Will Trump’s ‘Leadership’ Curb America’s Appetite for War?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Americans love a good war, which is why presidents have used armed conflicts to boost their political fortunes. That may not work for President Donald Trump this time around. Here is why.
How Will Iran Respond After US Killing of Top General?
Reading Time: 14 minutes The assassination of Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani could trigger an escalation of violence in the Middle East. Six months ago, we told you about him… and the other men who could start a war between the US and Iran.
Can Gas Price Protests Threaten the Iranian Regime?
Reading Time: 2 minutes International media may be underestimating the significance of protests in Iran as the ayatollahs face not only a domestic tide of discontent, but also a regional one.
As the US Flex Muscle, Saudi Arabia Flirts with Old Enemies
Reading Time: 2 minutes All options are on the table for US ally Saudi Arabia: from peace talks with Iran and the Yemeni rebels, and possible warming to Russia — to war with Iran.
Iran-US Crisis: The Six Angry Men Who Could Trigger War
Reading Time: 14 minutes US-Iran tensions over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and its backing of foreign proxies has put the Middle East on edge. Are the hawks in Washington and hardliners in Tehran bent on conflict?
Is the Cold War in the Persian Gulf About to Turn Hot?
Reading Time: 2 minutes The hidden cyber war between the US and Iran saw the world’s first known cyber weapon tested a decade ago. Now that conflict, which has so far been fought with hidden means, is on the brink of explosion.
The Iran Nuclear Deal and the View From Tehran
Reading Time: 16 minutes Want to understand the consequences of pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal? What it means for the US, Iran, and rest of the world? Listen to this conversation with Iran scholar and former Iranian ambassador and government official Seyed Hossein Mousavian.
Could Donald Trump Launch Another War to Save His Skin?
Reading Time: 2 minutes WhoWhatWhy founder and Editor-in-Chief Russ Baker talks with radio host Tom Hartmann about the itchy trigger fingers of past presidents, and whether Trump could launch another war to both distract and make himself look tough.
Could US Exit From Nuclear Pact Trigger War Between Iran and Israel?
Reading Time: 2 minutes Iranian and Israeli forces exchanged airstrikes just a day after the US pulled out of the 2015 multinational nuclear agreement. Could a full-blown war be stopped without US involvement?
Is the Fall of Kirkuk Iran’s Answer to Trump?
Reading Time: 2 minutes In a lightning advance, Iraqi forces captured the oil-rich city of Kirkuk from Kurdish forces on Monday, sending thousands of civilians fleeing.The fighting between two US-trained and -equipped forces that have been central to the war against the Islamic State was a slap in the face to US foreign policy. US-supplied Iraqi tank knocks over Read More
Bad Week for Turkey’s Syria Policy Continues
Reading Time: 2 minutes Twitter and other social media were briefly blocked on Friday morning in Turkey as the government in Ankara sought to suppress a gruesome Islamic State (IS) video that appeared to show the extremists burn alive two captured Turkish soldiers. That and the news that at least 16 more Turkish soldiers were killed in a failed, Read More
Iranians Don’t Trust US — Outrageous!
Reading Time: 3 minutes The US establishment, via the Washington Post, is complaining that the Iranians won’t let it in to play.
What the Upcoming Iranian Elections Could Mean for Us All
Reading Time: < 1 minute In February, Iran will hold elections that could determine the country’s future — and the future of the rest of the world, especially that of the US.
Iran is Not Biggest Nuclear Cheater–Guess Who Is?
Reading Time: 3 minutes With arguments hot and heavy over whether Iran “can be trusted” not to lie about its nuclear intentions, there’s little effort to examine who has cheated the most in this deadly arena.
Ten Indications Iran Wants Business Not Bombs
Reading Time: 6 minutes Longtime Middle East correspondent Charles Glass offers his droll, insightful, and entertaining personal take on the much-debated threat presented by Iran. He sees every indication that the country is much more interested in business than in war.