Iran's nuclear ambitions: let's not do anything rash
Should the US seek to destroy Tehran's atomic sites? No. The security case is not made and the risks are disproportionate READ MORE
China, India, Iran and Pakistan Crowd Russia in Today’s Great Game in Central Asia
When I was in Dushanbe, India’s defense minister just happened to be in the neighborhood, and popped in for a visit. READ MORE
Envoy Accuses Gazprom of 'Damaging' Iranian People
Iran's ambassador to Moscow on Wednesday assailed Gazprom Neft for a "delay" in developing the country's oil reserves, as fewer energy investors remain committed to cooperating with Tehran. READ MORE
Prospects for Electric Energy Export: Promising Trap?
Armenia ranks between 110 and 120 among 213 countries under Power Generation Performance Indicator. Presently, 100 Armenian power companies, including 95 hydroelectric, 3 thermal and a nuclear power plant, generate about 6.5 billion kWh of electricity per year. READ MORE
MAD in the 21st Century
Mutually Assured Destruction may have been a sensible policy during the Cold War. It isn’t now. READ MORE
The U.S.-Saudi Dilemma: Iran's Reshaping of Persian Gulf Politics
Something extraordinary, albeit not unexpected, is happening in the Persian Gulf region. The United States, lacking a coherent strategy to deal with Iran and too distracted to develop one, is struggling to navigate Iraq’s fractious political landscape in search of a deal that would allow Washington to keep a meaningful military presence in the country beyond the end-of-2011 deadline stipulated by the current Status of Forces Agreement. At the same time, Saudi Arabia, dubious of U.S. capabilities and intentions toward Iran, appears to be inching reluctantly toward an accommodation with its Persian adversary. READ MORE
Iranian top official: Talks on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be conducted more effectively inside region
Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani said the relations between Azerbaijan and Iran are at a very high level. READ MORE
Littoral States Struggle to Agree on the Caspian Settlement
The Caspian nations have reiterated pledges to solve their differences later this year ahead of the Caspian summit in Moscow, but they apparently continued to disagree on a number of key issues. During a meeting in Baku on April 26 – 27, representatives of the five countries that border the Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan) made yet another attempt to reach an agreement on the Caspian’s division. READ MORE
Iraq, Iran and the Next Move
The United States told the Iraqi government last week that if it wants U.S. troops to remain in Iraq beyond the deadline of Dec. 31, 2011, as stipulated by the current Status of Forces Agreement between Washington and Baghdad, it would have to inform the United States quickly. Unless a new agreement is reached soon, the United States will be unable to remain. The implication in the U.S. position is that a complex planning process must be initiated to leave troops there and delays will not allow that process to take place. READ MORE
