Iraq, By Elijah J. Magnier: Iraq is not the only theatre where the US and Iran clash. Syria is another arena where the two countries will find it challenging to find common ground. The US forces are occupying northeast Syria to prevent the Syrian economy from recovering and to slow down – without blocking – […]

Read More Iran rejects Iraqi-US “cosmetic surgery,” but US-Iran cooperation is not impossible 2/6

Iraq, By Elijah J. Magnier: Following the assassination of Brigadier General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Brigade, the Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei vowed before the world, but above all for his allies, that the US would pay the price by leaving West Asia. What Sayyed Khamenei said reflects […]

Read More Iran rejects Iraqi-US “cosmetic surgery,” but US-Iran cooperation is not impossible 1/6

By Elijah J. Magnier: It was not surprising to hear the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his army chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi knocking at the door of the Elysée, residence of the President of the French Republic, criticising Hezbollah and, of course, Iran. It is beyond doubt that Israel will never willingly swallow the presence […]

Read More Lebanon on the brink of the precipice

By Elijah J. Magnier: Israel targeted twelve Iranian tankers and ships, including several carrying oil to Syria, damaging them although not preventing their route and delivery of their cargo in most cases. What is Israel trying to do? And would Tehran respond? If so, how? The Indian security services accused Iran of being behind the explosion that caused no […]

Read More Israel strikes Iran in all directions. Will Tehran respond?

By Elijah J. Magnier: When the Syrian war broke out in 2011, the West – that was a direct participant in the war along with the Gulf countries and Turkey – believed that President Bashar al-Assad would fall after months, or a year or two: he would not last very long in power. Preparations began […]

Read More Britain hopes to besiege Hezbollah in Lebanon on behalf of Israel.

Written by Elijah J. Magnier: Two years ago, Pope Francis signed in Abu Dhabi, with the Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb,  a documentof “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”. His Holiness the Pope had wanted to sign a similar document with one of the most prominent Shiite community representatives globally, the Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali […]

Read More Sistani sends messages after the Pope’s visit to the US and the Vatican, and Palestine.

Written by Elijah J. Magnier: The US CENTCOM’s (Central Command) highest commander, General Frank McKenzie, recently revealed the accuracy of the 1,000–pound Iranian precision ballistic missiles fired more than a year ago in retaliation for the unlawful assassination of General Qassem Soleimani. Since World War II, this critical and historic event marked the first direct strike from […]

Read More Why is the US revealing details of Iran’s strike on Ayn al Assad a year later?

Written by Elijah J. Magnier: Tehran and Ankara have exchanged high-pitched criticisms that prompted the two countries to recall each other’s Ambassadors and send strongly worded messages to one another. Is the struggle for influence between Iran and Turkey headed towards a broader clash? And does the new US administration benefit from this dispute? And […]

Read More Are Iran and Turkey heading for a new conflict in the Middle East?

By Elijah J. Magnier:  Several F-15’s have launched an attack against multiple targets on the Iraqi-Syrian borders against Iraqi security forces, Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces – PMF), by direct order of President Joe Biden. This is the first military action ordered by the new President and certainly not the last. So far, the US President has […]

Read More Biden’s message to Iran in Iraq and Syria: the Battlefield has been inaugurated.

By Elijah J. Magnier Many states have used the Kurds (who maintain the same language and cross-border relationships with other Kurdish tribes in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey) throughout modern history –– as a weapon against various Middle Eastern countries. This continues to be the case, especially following the US invasion of Iraq and the […]

Read More The Kurds’ choices: “No Friends but the Mountains… and Certainly not Israel.”

By Elijah J. Magnier: It is unlikely that President Joe Biden would put Syria on his list of priorities for the simple reason that no solution so far imagined suits the US’s interests. Consequently, the US forces occupying north-eastern Syria and the Al-Tanf crossing between Iraq and Syria, and all other measures, are expected to […]

Read More Syria not on Biden’s priority list

By Elijah J. Magnier: US officials and Western analysts accuse Iran of playing a malignant role and demonstrating dangerous behaviour in the Middle East. These accusations refer to its support for groups and countries such as Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Iran is also accused of “controlling four Arab capitals.” And here is Iran declaring, through its Minister […]

Read More Why the US sees Iran’s Role and Behaviour in the Middle East as Malign and Dangerous

By Elijah J. Magnier: The nuclear agreement signed by former US President Barack Obama in 2015 seems to be no longer considered a valid deal for Iran and is undoubtedly considered inadequate for the US. Washington and European signatories are proposing modifications of the agreement to include Israel and Saudi Arabia and Iran’s missile programme […]

Read More The 2015 nuclear agreement seems no longer a valid reference for Iran

By Elijah J. Magnier: The US administration intensified its contacts with its allies in the Middle East to de-escalate the tension Donald Trump created in his last weeks in office. Indirect messages have reached Iran from Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and most recently from Iraq saying that the US has the intention of honouring its commitment […]

Read More Is the US prepared to come down from the tree and return to the Iranian Nuclear Deal?

By Elijah J. Magnier: Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi recently said: ” Israel carried out 500 airstrikes against Syria in 2020.” His predecessor, Major General Ghadi Eisenkot, stated in 2019 that “Israel has carried out thousands of raids against Iranian targets in Syria in the past years.” These thousands of raids would have wiped out both the Syrian and Iranian armies operating […]

Read More Does Russia wink at Israel’s bombing of Syria?

Written by Elijah J. Magnier: The US has decided to deploy the Israeli Iron Dome Missile Interceptor Systems, purchased in 2019, in Eastern European countries and also in the Gulf countries where the US Central Command (CENTCOM) operates and has established operational military bases. This step coincides with the US decision that Israeljoin CENTCOM (with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrein, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, […]

Read More Defensive Moves or Preparation for War with Iran?

Written by Elijah J. Magnier: Iraq is not far from closely resembling Lebanon, with its ongoing political and economic conflicts. However, the Iraqi economy’s inexorable deterioration may force Baghdad’s government to make difficult choices which will provoke severe consequences for the country whichever direction it goes in. This fragile political-economic situation indicates that no stability can be expected in the Middle East in the short term. West Asia is expected to remain an […]

Read More Iraq resembling Lebanon; will it lean towards the US or Iran?

Written by – Elijah J. Magnier: Iran is blaming the US for increasing tension in the Middle East. The Pentagon has shifted combat command responsibility for operations involving Israel from the US European Command (EUCOM) to the US Central Command (CENTCOM). This step has led Iranian officials to take a series of measures, including proceeding to more advanced […]

Read More Dangerous escalation in the Middle East: the US and Israel hand in glove in the next battle

By Elijah J. Magnier: In the last decade, the US, Israel and their allies explored every single avenue in an attempt to subject Iran to their will, weaken or even defeat the “Islamic Republic” and, for many years, aimed to change the political regime. The war on Syria (one of Iran’s strategic allies), the partition of […]

Read More Turkey, Israel and Iran gain and losses? Would Biden go to war or abandon the ME? (3/3)

By Elijah J. Magnier: Israel benefitted greatly from the rule of US President Donald Trump during his entire four years in office. Trump has “donated” what doesn’t belong to him, violated the United Nations resolutions when he gave the Syrian occupied Golan Heights to Israel, and promoted Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. To […]

Read More Turkey, Israel and Iran gain and losses? Would Biden go to war or abandon the ME? (2/3)

By Elijah J. Magnier: Turkey has risen as an emergent force in the Middle East thanks to the wars in Syria, Iraq and Libya, challenging the US’s unilateral dominance of this part of the world. On the other hand, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Afghanistan collectively imposed Iran as a regional power impossible to ignore. Iran has […]

Read More Turkey, Israel and Iran gains and losses? Would Biden go to war or abandon the ME? (1/3)

By Elijah J. Magnier: @ejmalrai In the remaining two weeks with President Donald Trump in power, Iran is sending strong messages to the United States of America, and in particular to both the current President and to the President-elect Joe Biden, by launching a two-day exercise involving domestically produced drones in central Semman province, and by increasing its enriched Uranium […]

Read More Iran challenging Trump and giving Biden no choice: an imminent deal or no deal

By Elijah J. Magnier: @ejmalrai The US military is on a state of high alert and has recently sent to the Middle East two B-52s, the submarine USS Georgia and ordered USS Nimitz to stay in the Gulf due to Iran’s threats. US President Donald Trump has vowed to strike Iran “if one American soldier is US […]

Read More Israel has sought to instigate an unwanted war between the US and Iran

By Elijah J. Magnier: A year ago, US President Donald Trump assassinated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander of the Quds brigade, Brigadier General Qassem Soleimani, the coordinator between Iran and all its allies in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan. The apparent motivation behind this act was consistent with US policy since […]

Read More Iran one year on: what did the assassination of Qassem Soleimani achieve?

By Elijah J. Magnier: “Iran’s missile programme is non-negotiable and US President-elect Joe Biden is well aware of that”. These are the words of Iranian President Hasan Rouhani. He is insisting on the return of the US to the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, signed by President Barack Obama in 2015 and illegally shredded by President Donald […]

Read More Will Trump start a war on Iran before he leaves the White House?