If looked at as the opening salvo of a global energy war being waged in parallel with the trade one as opposed to being dismissed as the populist piece of legislation that it’s being portrayed as by the media, NOPEC can be seen as the strategic superweapon that it actually is, with its ultimate effectiveness being dependent of course on whether it’s properly wielded by American decision makers.
Direct western intervention in a major ground campaign seems unlikely. But the US and Israeli war plan would aim to totally destroy Iran’s infrastructure, communications and transport (including oil) crippling this important nation of 80 million and taking it back to the pre-revolutionary era.
Iran regards Russia and Saudi Arabia’s OPEC+ output deal as a strategic threat, though its characteristic doesn’t imply any danger but should instead be interpreted more as a domestic political signal intended to redirect public rage away from the authorities and against the international community.
Irrespective of its eventual effectiveness, the quadrilateral coordination between the Southern Bloc’s Arab members and Israel speaks to Turkey’s multipolar credibility and success in positioning itself as a serious player in Mideast affairs.
The military stalemate that had hitherto set in over Yemen raised hopes that a so-called “political solution” was possible, but these might be forever dashed if the coalition capitalizes on the momentum from its potentially successful Hodeidah campaign to make a sprint for Sanaa.
The civil war or a direct assault on Iran could well lead to the downfall of the Quraysh houses of Al-Saud and Al-Neyhan, the conquest of both Mecca and Jerusalem by the Multipolar CENTO (it is expected that Russia and China would both provide the necessary military support as Russia did for Syria) and the end of the American empire.
Russian Railways has been working very hard to establish itself as a global player and the Trans-Arabian Railway project provides the perfect opportunity for showcasing its services. Not only that, but it’s a quid pro quo for Saudi investment in the Russian economy over the past couple of years, and it will help to accelerate the Russian-Saudi rapprochement, too.
The “rolling back” of Iran’s “strategic depth” in the Levant will make Iraq an even greater priority for it, especially after al-Sadr’s victory and his consequent “balancing” of the Islamic Republic and the Wahhabi Kingdom that his country’s wedged between.
Considering the pros and cons surrounding the construction of churches in the Wahhabi Kingdom, any decision in favor of this development would surely be a game-changer in more ways than one but would also trigger certain sensitivities that both sides might not be ready to respond to.
Saudi Arabia hopes that the psychological pressure of being cut off from the mainland together with the deployment of a Saudi base and the construction of a nuclear storage facility on the southern half of the newly created “island” will ensure that Qatar continues to feel under threat, though this might inadvertently backfire by triggering a “siege mentality” among its population.
The drums of war are pounding. After over one year of incessant Russia bashing and disinformation, is the public ready to go to war with Russia over Syria? Neoconservative hawks and their Israeli and Saudi allies seem to want this.
Many people aren’t aware of the doublethink that pervades the Iranian-influenced discourse on Yemen, and a critical analysis of this in practice could assist Tehran in avoiding unnecessary narrative shortcomings and ultimately optimizing its regional message.
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Andrew KORYBKO 
Nikolay STARIKOV 
Vladislav SOTIROVIC 
Gulam ASGAR MITHA 
Vladimir KOZIN 
M. K. BHADRAKUMAR 
Eric MARGOLIS 
Fr. Lawrence FARLEY 
Thierry MEYSSAN 
Peter CHAMBERLIN 
Michael AVERKO 
Fr. Andrey TKACHEV 
Fr. Stephen FREEMAN 
Nauman SADIQ 
Adam GARRIE 
Iqbal ALIMOHAMED 
Oliver RICHARDSON 
Sophie MANGAL 
William DUNKERLEY 
Matthew COOPER 
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