Oriental Review

Israel Is Anticipating War

By Elmira TARIVERDIEVA (Russia)

Surprising political developments in Israel and recent reports in the US media suggest that Israel will attack Iran in the near future. After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early parliamentary elections at a conference of the Likud ruling party in early May, Israel decided unexpectedly to cancel them. The cancellation of the elections was not [...]

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What Missiles Are Threatening Europe?

By Vladimir EVSEEV (Russia)

The issue of creating missile defense boundaries in Europe is largely political in nature. The United States is developing the system more for ensuring national security — officially from Iran, but in reality from China and possibly Russia. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand its persistence in establishing a global missile defense system in Europe [...]

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We Want War, And We Want It Now

By Pepe ESCOBAR (Brazil)

With friends like these … It all had to do with that Friends of Syria (fools for war?) meeting in Istanbul. Picture Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal – who seems to have a knack for sending US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton into rapture – feverishly arguing that the House of Saud, those paragons of [...]

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The Iranian Threat

By Vladimir EVSEEV (Russia)

The West sees Iran as a real threat. That perception is driving development of a missile defense system in Europe and the Middle East; ever tougher, so-called “crippling” economic and financial sanctions against Iran; support for both the internal opposition, which is not currently having a major impact on the country’s politics, and the various [...]

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War, Pipelineistan-style

By Pepe ESCOBAR (Brasil)

United States Secretary of State Hillary “We came, we saw, he died” Clinton’s message to Pakistan was stark; try to go ahead with the IP (Iran-Pakistan) gas pipeline, and we’re going to take you out financially. Islamabad, its economy in tatters, living in power-cut land, and desperate for energy, tried to argue. Pakistan’s top official [...]

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A “Democratic” Scenario for Syria

By Vladimir EVSEEV (Russia)

On February 26, 2012, the Syrian Arab Republic held a referendum to adopt a new constitution that is reasonably democratic. It was proposed that the president be chosen in a general election (previously this was done through a referendum), that his time in office be limited to two terms, that the transfer of power by [...]

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US, Iran Keeping Up Belligerent Rhetoric

By Victor MIKHIN (Russia)

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation is scheduled to revisit Iran from February 21-22. He said, “These cooperations between Iran and the IAEA can lead to the agency’s better understanding of the peaceful nature of our activities.” The delegation, which was led by Herman Nackaerts, Deputy [...]

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Petrodollar Pumping US Policy on Iran, Backfire Looms

By Michael WINTER (USA)

As tensions between the US and Iran heat up, author Michael T. Winter believes the main reason behind America’s harsh stance is Tehran’s move to seek an alternative to the dollar as an oil currency. Economic sanctions, spearheaded by the US and, less willingly, the EU could have a disastrous effect on both of their [...]

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Currency Warfare: What are the Real Targets of the E.U. Oil Embargo against Iran?

By Mahdi Darius NAZEMROAYA (Canada)

Who is the European Union’s so-called “oil embargo on Iran” really aimed at? This is an important geo-strategic question. Aside from rejecting the new E.U. measures against Iran as counter-productive, Tehran has warned the member states of the European Union that the E.U. oil embargo against Iran will hurt them and their economies far more [...]

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Touch Iran in a War, You Will Hear Russia and China

By Mahdi Darius NAZEMROAYA (Canada)

Despite the areas of difference and the rivalries between Moscow and Tehran, Russian and Iranian ties are increasing. Both Russia and Iran share many commonalities. They are both major energy exporters, have deeply seated interests in the South Caucasus, oppose NATO’s missile shield, and want to keep the U.S. and E.U. from controlling the energy [...]

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Aggravation Game: Why the US Win In Case Iran Blockades Hormuz Strait?

By Sergey PRAVOSUDOV (Russia)

The Hormuz Strait closure by Iran will mainly benefit US oil companies and defense industry. The action will spark a crisis that would make easier to find a solution to the US economic woes and even create an opportunity to curtail its huge external debt. The USA puts pressure on their European allies to stop [...]

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US Will Punish Its NATO Allies, Not Iran

By Alexander VISHNEVSKY (Russia)

Will the economies of Greece and Italy finally collapse without Iranian oil? Having declared that the US-EU friendship will depend on whether Brussels supports Washington in its bid for imposing sanctions against Iran, the US president left Europe with no choice. The European Union, desperate to at least slow down the pace of the Eurozone’s [...]

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