US President Barack Obama’s formal declaration of the end of US combat operations in Iraq on August 31 is a good a moment as any to reflect on the war, the United States’ global position, and Obama himself.

Iraq War: Have The Goals Been Achieved?

First, let me address the Iraq War itself. There were several publicly [Read more...]

There’s been quite a lot of commentary in the media of late about Turkey emerging as a global power. This seems to have been prompted by the increasingly assertive positions on a variety of issues (eg standing up to Israel over the Gaza blockade, and vetoing new UN sanctions on Iran) adopted by Prime Minister [Read more...]

In response to Iran’s non-compliance with the UN over its nuclear programme, and its continued support for terrorist organisations, the US Congress on June 24 passed the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010 – an amendment to the original Iran Sanctions Act of 1996.

As expected, the act tightened restrictions against Iranian commercial [Read more...]

In symbolic terms, the nuclear swap deal with Iran brokered by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva marks a major triumph for Brazil, tying in with what my colleagues at BMI and I have been saying for some time now: Brazil is rapidly becoming a diplomatic force to be reckoned with.

•    Charting A Path Of [Read more...]

Early returns from Iraq’s national elections suggest that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Alliance is on track to secure the highest number of seats of any party in the next parliament, and that he himself is well placed to retain his post. If Maliki does stay on in his role, this should ensure [Read more...]

Regular readers of this blog will know that my colleagues and I have recently been discussing the growing possibility of Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear programme (I highly recommend listening to Business Monitor’s Podcast on this subject). However, let us now do a little thought experiment: flash forward five years, and imagine that Iran [Read more...]

On this week’s Business Monitor Podcast, BMI’s Head of Middle East Analysis Elizabeth Martins and Middle East Analyst Andrew Fargus discuss rising political risks in Iran concerning the nuclear situation. With diplomatic tensions escalating, Fargus assesses the implications of a potential Israeli strike on Iran, and discusses the latter’s retaliatory options. At home, the Iranian [Read more...]

 

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