A Break in the Argentina Murder Case Tied to Iran

A sign at a protest in Argentina, with photo of Alberto Nisman, that reads “The truth cannot be killed,” October 2023. Photo credit: Cristobal Basaure Araya / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect.

Ten years ago, on January 18, 2015, an Argentinian prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, was murdered for investigating the 1994 terrorist bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. That 1994 attack killed 85 and wounded some 300, the largest single mass murder of Jews between the Holocaust of World War Two and October 7, […]

Look to Middle Eastern Diasporas for Figures to Inspire Change

Photos: REUTERS, Shutterstock.

The Middle East presents a formidable array of challenges and opportunities for President-elect Trump, with the Iran nuclear issue emerging as the most perilous and complex threat to both regional stability and US interests. Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its potential to destabilize the balance of power overshadow other crises, including the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which […]

A Fateful Debate in Tehran

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visits the IRGC Aerospace Force exhibition in Tehran. Photo credit: via REUTERS.

There are growing indications – not yet certainties – that the top echelons of the Iranian regime are locked in a fierce debate over a comprehensive reassessment of their regional policies. The Farsi media and public statements by politicians allow only a glimpse of the intensity of the controversy. Still, the ongoing heated discussions have […]

Israel’s Strategic Options regarding Iran

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Israel’s strategic options regarding Iran are at a critical juncture. The diminishing threat from proxies and the impairment of Iran’s air defense capabilities have shifted the focus squarely onto Iran’s nuclear program in the immediate time frame. Iran’s threatening public declarations and technical advancements are a red warning light. For over a year, Israel has […]

Trump Administration Faces a Suddenly Promising Middle East

BACKGROUND The second Trump administration will face immediate foreign policy dilemmas in all three Eurasian fronts. This paper concentrates on the Middle East, but the competing demands of Europe and East Asia, and the links among all of them, influence decisions everywhere. The dramatic events of the past year open the door to a regional […]

Stubborn Facts on Supporting Israel and Combating Antisemitism

Photos: Shutterstock, Freepik.

Two days before the 2024 elections and Americans find themselves in a revel of name-calling. The American media, acting as campaign surrogates, edit and spin the candidates’ remarks to support the epithets.  “Facts are stubborn things,” said our second president John Adams, “and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our […]

Israel’s Actions against Hizbullah in Lebanon: Part of a Global Confrontation

IDF tanks in northern Israel, September 2024. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ayal Margolin.

Israel’s confrontation with Iran and its proxy armies, including the current operation against Hizbullah by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), should be seen as part of a broader global struggle. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022 was the first sign of a new geostrategic era, and the October 2023 mass murder invasion […]

American Priorities for Engaging the Iranian Opposition

Photo credit: Allison Bailey via Reuters Connect.

In September 2022, Iranians from all walks of life took to the streets against the ruling clerical regime. The immediate cause was the brutal death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of regime security forces for the crime of improperly wearing her Islamic headscarf or hijab.  The grassroots protests quickly transformed into something else: […]

Israel Pulls An Economic Lever on Lebanon

Energean's floating production platform on the Karish gas field, offshore Israel, June 2022. Photo credit: Energean/Handout via REUTERS.

In October 2022, Israel and Lebanon sent separate commitments on a common maritime border to the United States. The deal was structured in this fashion, rather than as a bilateral agreement, to accommodate the government of Lebanon, which refused to sign anything directly with Israel.  The maritime border deal was intended to allow each country […]

The Axis of Expansionists

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Military aggressions and provocations by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have created one of the most dangerous security environments in decades. Making matters worse, these powers are supporting each other in their malign actions. How should we refer to this emerging bloc? Russia is waging war to make Ukraine its colony again. Iran has […]