Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty A senior Iranian official is reported as saying it would be “illogical” for Tehran to join a proposed oil output freeze. Iranian newspaper Shargh quoted Iran’s OPEC envoy Mehdi Asali as saying Tehran would continue to increase oil production until it reaches presanction levels. The comments […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Gregory R. Copley, Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs Senior-level sources in numerous Middle Eastern governments have privately expressed bewilderment at recent and current U.S. government strategies and policies toward the region. But a closer examination of U.S. policies, now almost entirely dictated by the Obama White House, shows no cohesive national […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty The Sunni Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf have expressed support for Saudi Arabia in its diplomatic row with Iran, condemning what they described as Iranian interference in Riyadh’s internal affairs. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and warned that the kingdom was considering […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Arab states are mostly “laying low” in the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) for a few main reasons, analysts say. While several states are part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, others are dealing with ISIL jihadists in their own backyards. The U.S., UK, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Concerned they will be overwhelmed by the social and political impact of a huge influx of refugees, wealthy Gulf states are highly unlikely to change their practice of keeping asylum seekers out. The UN convention on refugees, which has governed international law on asylum since World War II, includes exactly zero Gulf […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif went on a one-day, three-country Mideast tour on July 26 to defend a nuclear deal that many Arab countries are vehemently opposed to. Zarif’s charm offensive in the Gulf included stops in Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq. Teheran has insisted the nuclear deal will not change its […]
Special to WorldTribune.com A group affiliated with Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for a bombing attack on a Shi’ite mosque in Kuwait on June 26 that left at least 25 people dead. Another 202 people were wounded as the blast ripped through Imam Sadiq Mosque east of Kuwait City during Friday […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Norman Bailey Recently the persistent rumors of informal talks between Israeli and Saudi officials were confirmed. Such meetings have been taking place for a long time and continue. Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as some of the Gulf states, notably Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) share fundamental […]
Special to WorldTribune.com On the same day President Barack Obama promised Persian Gulf States leaders the U.S. would protect their security, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy again fired at a commercial ship. In a May 14 summit at Camp David in which only two Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) heads of state attended, Obama sought to […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Leaders of the Gulf Arab states are seeking security and weapons technology agreements from the White House to preserve their military edge in the region as a major U.S. strategic agreement with Iran looms, the Wall Street Journal reported. Israel has a similar agreement with the United States relative to the same […]