In an interview, Sergei Melkonian discusses Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s careful balancing act among the United States, Israel, and Iran. Armenak Tokmajyan: How have Armenia and Azerbaijan responded so far to the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran, given their need to maintain good working relations with their large neighbor while avoiding antagonizing …

At heart, to impose unconditional surrender on Hezbollah and uproot the party among its coreligionists. Israel is repeating parts of the military playbook it used against Hezbollah in 2024, but its strategy is different this time. It was evident, even before Hezbollah fired a handful of rockets toward Haifa in …

As the war on Iran continues to engulf the Middle East, the scope and goals of the United States and Israel in the operation remain murky. President Donald Trump has oscillated between claiming he is not after regime change to later seeming to adopt the Israeli position that regime change …

Stakeholders must demand major restructuring of the Board of Peace and robust oversight and transparency before engaging with it. Until then, rights-respecting existing platforms and mechanisms for multilateral peacemaking should be supported. With world attention focused on the war spreading from Iran to the Middle East and beyond, multilateralism and …

The country’s strategy is no longer focused on deterrence and diplomacy, it’s about dominance and degradation. In launching war against Iran, Israel has made unmistakably clear that it is operating according to a strategic logic very different from the one that has long guided its statecraft. The United States may …

Iran would target shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial conduit for global oil and other goods leading to the Suez Canal, if the United States launches a ground invasion, an unnamed military official told local media Wednesday. “If the enemy attempts a ground operation on Iranian islands or anywhere …

The war in Ukraine is costing Russia its leverage overseas. Across the South Caucasus and Middle East, this presents an opportunity for Europe to pick up the pieces and claim its own sphere of influence. When Iran sought tangible support, Russia’s response fell short. While Moscow has provided indirect assistance …

The drone strike on the British air base in Akrotiri brings Europe’s proximity to the conflict in Iran into sharp relief. In the fog of war, old tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean risk being reignited, and regional stakeholders must avoid escalation. Two weeks into the massive U.S. and Israeli military …

While the Gulf states find themselves directly in the line of fire, their frustration is not directed only at Tehran, but increasingly at fellow Arab states whose response has been muted, symbolic, or absent altogether. As far as the Gulf states are concerned, the Arab response is just background noise. …

E_055_26Download