Nearly simultaneously with the Tehran Summit, US President Joe Biden visited the region. What was the outcome of this visit? First of all, I would say this: The US has lost trust in West Asia. To give a couple of examples: that the US-Iran nuclear negotiations did not satisfy Saudi Arabia, the significant withdrawal of US military forces from the ...
While the situation in Afghanistan has stabilised and progress is being made toward a settlement of the Syrian issue, Iraq is now experiencing a series of events that might bring the country to the verge of anarchy at any time. Protesters have taken over the nation’s parliament building for the umpteenth time, making it impossible for the national assembly to ...
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds force, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US airstrike in Baghdad. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Iran, Iraq and numerous other countries to honor the memory of the legendary general, one of Iran’s most important leaders after Hassan Rouhani and Ayatollah Khomenei. Brief Chronology The ...
It is something of an open secret that despite the US attempting to dominate Iraq with an all out invasion, it has been Iran and its allies who have been able to benefit from the aftermath of Washington’s attack. The Americans are naturally less than happy with this outcome, and have done their best ever since to curtail Iranian influence ...
Mass protests have been held in Iraq for more than a month. Al-Tahrir Square in central Baghdad has become the epicenter of revolutionary events. However, the experts are in no hurry to say what type of revolution it may be. The actions of the protesters strongly resemble the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004 (in Iraq, youth also celebrate weddings ...
Two different viewpoints have been prominent in analyzing the weeks of mass protests in Iraq, Lebanon and Algeria: There are “external forces” behind these protests Citizens are legitimately reacting to economic crisis and government corruption. The government is simply using allegations of foreign interference to weaken the protests There is relevant information regarding both viewpoints that should be kept in ...
Over the last month, Baghdad and several Shiite-majority cities in Iraq have been affected by popular protests against the government. The demonstrations provoked a heavy reaction from security and paramilitary forces, leaving dozens dead. This article examines the cause of Iraqi protests, the demands of protesters and the perspectives for the future of Iraq. On the eve of the massive ...