By Heshmat Alavi Iran, known for its unbridled sectarian meddling in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, is currently facing an unwanted quagmire and dead-end in the Levant. We cannot limit Iran’s role and its meddling across the Middle East to 2016 alone. There is an ongoing war in the region, … [Read more...] about How Iran Got Stuck in the Syria Quagmire
Middle East
Crimes in Aleppo: Iran must be ousted from Syria
By Alejo Vidal Quadras | Dec. 29, 2016 The unspeakable scenes we witnessed in Aleppo -- the massacre of women, children, doctors and other innocents -- broadcast to us almost live by the civilians trapped in the siege will go down in history along with Darfur, Srebrenica or Rwanda as major … [Read more...] about Crimes in Aleppo: Iran must be ousted from Syria
Iran in Syria: Russia Took Over
It appears that Iran literally gained nothing from the Moscow conference, meaning that its participation was merely of a ceremonial nature. "The regime in Tehran is the source of crisis in the region and killings in Syria; it has played the greatest role in the expansion and continuation of ISIS. … [Read more...] about Iran in Syria: Russia Took Over
Boeing/Airbus Deals Will Boost Iran’s Support of Terrorism
By Amir Basiri December 29, 2016 Mainstream media is rife with news about Iran sealing multibillion-dollar deals with Airbus and Boeing to purchase more than 100 passenger planes. Unfortunately, Iran is no ordinary buyer. It's a mistake for anyone to rejoice over such a deal or boast about it … [Read more...] about Boeing/Airbus Deals Will Boost Iran’s Support of Terrorism
How Iran actually lost in Aleppo
Following a historic period of perseverance, Syrian rebels and their families were forced to evacuate eastern Aleppo after its liberation back in 2012. An unjust, intense war was launched upon Aleppo by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and its proxy forces on the ground: Russia with its … [Read more...] about How Iran actually lost in Aleppo
Why did Iran publish images of their general Qasem Soleimani in Aleppo?
Heshmat Alavi Special to Al Arabiya English Sunday, 25 December 2016 Text size A A A Seeing images of Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, touring the ravaged city of Aleppo proves the utter failure of US President Barack Obama’s foreign policy vis-à-vis Iran. … [Read more...] about Why did Iran publish images of their general Qasem Soleimani in Aleppo?
Aleppo tragedy is a stark reminder of the price of Western neglect
The carnage in Aleppo is a much stronger reminder than we should have ever needed about the importance of a change in Western foreign policies. President Obama’s attempt to “reorient” U.S. foreign policy has in practice turned into the outright abandonment of the U.S. role in the Middle East. And … [Read more...] about Aleppo tragedy is a stark reminder of the price of Western neglect
Iran: Why the Mullahs Will Not Reform from Within
By Heshmat Alavi December 22, 2016 at 4:45 am Iran's entire power structure and most of its civil society is centralized under the personal control of the Supreme Leader. In this way, Iran's dictatorship is every bit as entrenched as North Korea's, making the idea of traditional regime change … [Read more...] about Iran: Why the Mullahs Will Not Reform from Within
Time for a principled approach on Iran
By Heshmat Alavi - December 21, 2016 The time has come to reassess, readdress, and readjust the course of action in Western foreign policy in respect with Iran. Last year’s nuclear deal between the international community and Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has … [Read more...] about Time for a principled approach on Iran
What is Iran’s ‘national treasure’ in Iraq?
Heshmat Alavi, Special to Al Arabiya English Monday, 19 December 2016 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei recently described Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), a conglomerate of extremist Shiite militia groups, as the country’s “national treasure.” This entire entity is believed to be … [Read more...] about What is Iran’s ‘national treasure’ in Iraq?