Are China and Russia Replacing the US in the Middle East?
China and Russia are making strategic and economic deals with the Middle East, especially Iran and Saudi Arabia, which will be detrimental to the domination of the US in the region.
Moreover, Western hostility has brought China, Russia, and Iran close to forming a triple axis.
To better understand China and Russia’s increasing relations in the Middle East, Sana Azhar explores the economic, strategic, and soft power domains.
Israel’s Begin Doctrine
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Menachem Begin, believed that the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iraq would pose an existential threat to the Jewish state.
That was the beginning of the Begin Doctrine which called for military action against countries or groups that carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens or interests.
The Begin Doctrine has also been used to justify Israel’s military operations in the Middle East, including the bombing of the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981 and the attack on the Syrian nuclear facility in 2007.
Exploring China’s Strategic Partnership with Iran
Divided into three sections, the first part of the paper examines the concept of “strategic partnership” as a new framework in international relations and intentional cooperation. It also examines how this concept has become integrated into China’s foreign policy, and the reasons behind Beijing’s over-reliance on it.
The second section examines China’s historical relations with Iran up to the announcement of the so-called comprehensive strategic partnership, focusing on the motives and goals of both states. The third section highlights the main challenges that are expected in Beijing’s strategic partnership with Tehran.
Cold War in the Islamic World by Dilip Hiro
Written by Dilip Hiro, “Cold War in the Islamic World: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Struggle for Supremacy” presents an analysis of the ongoing conflict between Riyadh and Tehran. The author, while conveying the depth of conflict, explains the reality behind the persistent rivalry between both states.
The Politics of the Veil in France, India & Iran
Maryam Jilani studies the narratives of women’s emancipation and agency in three countries: France, India, and Iran. While the three of them have dissimilar geographical, cultural, and political climates, one common feature would be the weaponisation of veiling and how it is used to marginalise and discriminate against specific fractions of the population.
Iran’s Hijab Protest Movement 2022
Mahsa Amini was arrested and held in custody by the Gasht-e Ershad, the morality police of Iran, for not properly wearing her hijab.
Amna Asif notes how Mahsa Amini’s death (caused as a result of police brutality) has triggered massive protests against the compulsory hijab law for women in Iran.
Iranian authorities are still trying to contain the unshakeable hijab protest movement by deploying forces, and shutting down internet services across the country.
2022 SCO Summit in Samarkand
The 22nd annual summit of the Council of Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held on September 15 and 16 against the backdrop of a geopolitical upheaval challenging the world order.
The leaders discussed regional and global challenges and resolved to achieve common goals of climate resilience, connectivity, digital sovereignty, peace, security, and economic development, notwithstanding the conflicts among member countries.
Prospects of multilateral cooperation were discussed at the Samarkand meeting, but of greater interest were the side-line meetings between heads of states, especially between Xi and Putin.
The Prisoner’s Dilemma of Hostage Diplomacy: How States Exploit Foreigners
Khawaja Obaid ur Rehman explains the concept of ‘hostage diplomacy’ – linking it to the recent arrest of US basketball player Brittney Griner who got arrested in Russia.
He also applies the concept of ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ to show just how tricky the practice of imprisoning foreign nationals to achieve specific national interests can be.
Pakistan-Iran Trade and the Upcoming Free Trade Agreement
Pakistan and Iran, after years of not being able to establish a free trade agreement (FTA), have finally started to move in the direction of signing one. In the 21st session of the Pak-Iran Joint Economic Commission, hosted in Islamabad in August 2022, the two neighboring states have shown their eagerness to improve their trade relations by signing an FTA within the following six months.
Putin’s Visit to Iran: Ending Western Hegemony
President Putin’s visit to Iran has caught significant attention amidst the fragile global political and economic conditions. Faran Feroze considers the visit to have raised various concerns among Washington and its allies as the two leaders met to discuss economic cooperation and deepening partnerships through an MOU between Gazprom and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and the installation of the Rasht-Astara railway line, among others.
Reorienting the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Relationship
The asymmetrical relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has compromised Pakistan’s key strategic interests on various occasions. The volatility of this relationship has been the centre of attention of researchers and diplomats alike. Afifa Iqbal discusses the dissimilarity between Pakistan’s foreign policy objectives and the current state of bilateral ties.
The Unbalanced Foreign Policy of Pakistan
Lacking a judicious and effective foreign policy, Pakistan has always struggled against an unprecedented combination of challenges related to external relations. M. Shaheer Khattak walks us through Pakistan’s foreign relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, India, Afghanistan, and the United States.
The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions (Book Review)
Arash Azizi’s “The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions” is a wonderfully comprehensive book that honors the life of Iran’s greatest soldier, General Qasem Soleimani. Known as the Shadow Commander, General Soleimani’s life within and beyond Iran is recounted as well as the legacy he left for his people and country.
The Iran-China Deal of 2021: 25 Years of Cooperation in Energy, Infrastructure, & Telecom
The increasing cooperation between China and Iran is seen as a threat by the United States, and by Iran’s rival oil exporters. The Iran-China deal (signed in March 2021) will further consolidate these relations and ensure China’s involvement in the region for the next 25 years. The author, Rooha Javed, notes that as a part of this deal, China will invest in Iran’s infrastructure development, oil and petrochemical industry, and telecommunications. She asserts that the Iran-China partnership can already be seen in China’s inclination towards reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and its current infrastructure projects in Iran.
Joint Naval Exercise CHIRU-2Q22 in the Indian Ocean: Indication of an Eastern Axis?
The author, Syed Haris Shah, explains the reality from the perspectives of China, Iran, and Russia. Already a part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), these three Eastern states have been repeatedly partnering in joint naval exercises to maintain maritime security in their waters against the United States.
Iran: A Common Enemy of Israel and the Arab Countries
The relations of the Arab states, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Oman, with Israel have always been based upon what they perceive as a threat and what benefits them. The authors, Rubab Nawaz and Kanza Tahir, explain that initially, these Arab states viewed Israel as the enemy but now, they’ve started to align themselves with it to counter the threat of a Shi’ite and nuclear Iran. This threat has been securitized to gain legitimacy from the masses. For the sake of this Arab-Israel alliance, the Gulf states seem to have sidelined the issue of Palestine.
A Peaceful Afghanistan: The Interest of Pakistan, China, & the Region
Over the years, the state of Afghanistan has experienced terrorism, drug trafficking, human rights abuse, political turmoil, geostrategic and geo-economic tussle, and societal deterioration. The instability in the state has impacted Pakistan, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Central Asian Republics as well. The authors, Muhammad Saad, Eman Anjum, Jizza Babar, and M. Shaheer Khattak, note that for their own interests, these regional states seek a peaceful Afghanistan, the establishment of which is not an easy task. For this reason, they have made efforts to stabilize and develop the war-torn state.