Iran

The South gathers in Tehran

Credit: Asia Times: Usually ignored by the West as irrelevant, the Non-Aligned Movement has raised eyebrows by scheduling its next summit in the Iranian capital. By doing so, it has underscored recent developments in the Middle East centering on Iran, Syria, India, and the NAM’s ongoing struggle against US geopolitical […]

Iraq helping Iran skirt sanctions: report

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE ARABNEWS Sunday 19 August 2012 WASHINGTON: Iraq is helping its neighbor Iran skirt international sanctions by smuggling oil and letting Tehran secretly move large amounts of cash through bank auctions, The New York Times reported Sunday. Last month, US President Barack Obama singled out the Elaf Islamic […]

A Saudi overture to Iran

Credit: Asia Times: The US conclusion that the recent summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation delivered a “strong signal” to Syria missed the point. As always in Muslim politics, the subtext of the conference – the increasing threat of sectarian rivalry to the Middle Eastern regimes – was more […]

All (war) roads lead to Mecca

Credit: Asia Times Sugar-coated photo-ops at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation couldn’t hide the bitter truth that the House of Saud and Tehran are practically at each other’s throats in an all-out war between Sunnis and Shi’ites. In between suspending Syria from the OIC, Saudi Arabia is juggling a tricky […]

Saudis use summit to isolate Syria, Iran

Credit: Asia Times: “To examine the situation in many countries of the Islamic world, intensify efforts to confront this situation, address the sources of discord and division therein, reunify the Islamic Ummah and promote Islamic solidarity.” That is how Saudi Arabia’s leaders initially justified their decision to hold a special […]