Courtesy: U.S. Senate/Wikimedia Commons
Hardliners in the U.S. argue that the Obama administration’s eagerness to declare success has given Iran an advantage in the negotiations on its nuclear programme. Even if the agreement between the U.S., its partners, and Iran is finalised in the coming days, Obama has the tough task of convincing the U.S. Congress to lift sanctions
Courtesy: U.S. State department/Flickr
With the EU, Iran, and other entities taking decisive steps on April 2 to ensure a non-nuclear Iran, President Obama must now counter interests in the U.S. that want to stymie the final agreement. But having come this far, and considering the comprehensive benefits of an agreement, all sides are sure to deliver
Courtesy: wikimedia
The fall in oil prices is creating new complexities for the energy exporting economies of West Asia. With smaller profits, these countries may not be able to buy off political dissent at home and fund client governments and rebels abroad. Lower energy prices could also mean a renewed chance for peace
Courtesy: U.S. Staff Sergeant Aaron Allmon
Obama’s strategy to target the IS in Syria within the framework of a U.S.-led international coalition has met with a tepid response. There are reports that the U.S may offer India a non-NATO ally status during Modi’s upcoming visit in a bid to seek greater support – a gesture that India will do well to disregard.
Courtesy: RT.com
Talks are on in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 to reach a settlement on Iran’s nuclear programme. The self-imposed deadline expires on July 20. However, with the U.S. insisting that Iran cut back on operational centrifuges any possibility of a comprehensive solution in the near future seems remote
Courtesy: dimoqrati.info
Recent geopolitical shifts has given birth to the very real possibility of a fractured Iraq. The on-going civil war in Syria and an unstable Iraq has renewed the call for a Kurdish nationhood. Although presented with a historic opportunity, rebel factions and authoritarian governments still present a hurdle to the quest for an autonomous Kurdish region
Courtesy: laprensa
Over two years after American troops left Iraqi soil, the rise of the brutal ISIS is forcing a war weary U.S.to contemplate a return to the country. Amid plummeting approval ratings and divided opinions at home, President Barack Obama will have to carefully weigh the implications of a disintegrated Iraq on the U.S. and indeed, the world.
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
The P5+1 negotiations with Iran, mostly a Washington-Tehran affair, may be a means to a complex and ambitious end: a new strategic and energy equation in Southwest Asia. U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent State of the Union address indicates that to reach this goal, the U.S. is steering away from war to diplomacy
Courtesy: W123/WikimediaCommons
Whether backdoor geopolitics rather than careful negotiations brought about the interim agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, the next six months will determine its fate. Reactions have ranged from a furious and mistrustful Israel to collective relief by many countries, and a worried India welcoming the agreement
Courtesy: European External Action Service
On November 24, the P5+1 and Iran reached a consensus on the interim agreement regarding Tehran’s long-disputed nuclear program. How comprehensive is this agreement, and what are its potential upshots for U.S., and West Asia – especially Israel and Saudi Arabia? More importantly, can India play a positive role?