Interferences prevent stabilizing Mideast, Iran regrets

TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gholam-Hossein Dehqani said on Monday that interferences by extra-regional countries prevent a stabilization of the Middle East.

We need stronger region not strongmen, Zarif tweets

TEHRAN – A stronger region, rather than strongmen, is needed by regional countries, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday.

Zarif says U.S. has turned region into ‘gunpowder store’

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that the U.S. has turned the Middle East region into a “gunpowder store”.

Iran blames Israeli occupation as the root cause of Middle East conflicts

Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations has described the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as the root cause of all existing conflicts and crises across the Middle East region.

U.S. seeking to ‘permanently’ destabilize region, Zarif says

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that the U.S. is seeking to destabilize the Middle East region “permanently” to justify its heinous policy.

By Martin Love

Bold counter moves even if naïve are worth marginal examination at least

NORTH CAROLINA - President Rouhani and other leaders in Iran have lately been appealing for unity among all Muslims to counter the threats posed by the Israelis and the U.S. and the Saudis to sow yet more chaos in the Middle East. No one can argue against the idea of such unity, but aside from a few discrete periods in Islamic history the effective unity of the “ummah” has been and seems to remain a chimera, a least when viewed from any purely political angle.

Army chief: U.S. dominance in West Asia has waned

TEHRAN – The Iranian Army chief said on Thursday that the era of U.S. dominance in West Asia has come to an end.

‘U.S. will be forced to leave Middle East’

TEHRAN – Thanks to the Islamic Ummah’s resistance, the U.S. will be defeated and will have to leave the Persian Gulf, Syria and other countries in the Middle East, a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said on Sunday.

‘Regional cooperation, only way to tackle SDSs’

TEHRAN – Sand and dust storms (SDSs) severely hitting the southern part of the country posing threat to human and environmental well-being, requires the cooperation of neighboring countries to be tackled, head of the international affairs at the Department of Environment (DOE) has said.

By Martin Love

The beginning of Trump’s unravelling may be at hand

You have to wonder about the Saudis who, aside from the Zionists, are considered the number one U.S. ally in the Middle East. And the latest incarnation of Saudi Arabia’s “leadership” is Muhammad bin Salman, the designated crown prince of the Kingdom, who for stupidity may know no equal at the moment.

By Hanif Ghaffari

Trump's Strategic weakness in west Asia

TEHRAN - In his recent remarks, Donald Trump said that if he wasn't at top of the U.S. political and executive equations, Iran would capture the Middle East (West Asia)! This is while Islamic Republic of Iran created stability in the West Asian region, and besides, has stood against the long-term, medium-term, and short-term and destructive goals of the United States and its allies in the region.

‘It’s complete folly’ to threaten Iran out of Syria: ex-Pentagon chief

Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday sharply criticized tough talk on Iran from senior Trump administration officials determined to ouster the forces backed by Tehran from Syria.

Tehran to host regional security meeting

TEHRAN – The first meeting among regional countries’ national security officials and consultants is scheduled to be held in Tehran on Wednesday, ISNA reported.

‘U.S. has lost Middle East’

TEHRAN - Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi Fard, interim Friday prayer leader of Tehran, has said that the U.S. has lost the Middle East.

By Hamid Bayati

Did Trump deceive Macron again?

Speaking at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Vienna, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's remarks on the necessity of holding missile and regional negotiations with Iran surprised many of his addressees!

‘Unaware we are in war condition’: cleric

TEHRAN – A Tehran Friday prayer leader says U.S. President Donald Trump has said that “we are seeking to conquer the Middle East”, but Trump and his companions will soon take this wish to the grave, Mehr reported.

By Martin Love

Geopolitical and economic transitions are nothing but painful

Who knows what the real numbers are, but it’s been estimated that since the end of World War 2 the U.S. has been responsible, one way or another, for the demise of some 25 million souls across the planet – many of them innocent, who were victimized by the overweening insistence that the U.S. grab or maintain military or economic hegemony by damaging potential rivals.

By Javad Heirannia

Arab NATO is exchanging security by economic and financial issues: Hunter

TEHRAN - Shireen Tahmaasb Hunter, a professor of political science at Georgetown University, tells the Tehran Times that that “At least since the mid1970s, there has been a tacit cooperation among Persian Gulf Arab states and the West, including America.”

By Javad Heirannia

Members of Arab NATO have conflicting interests: Adib-Moghaddam

TEHRAN - Professor Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Chair of the Centre for Iranian Studies at the London Middle East Institute believes that the countries that are said to become a part of this new "Arab NATO" have conflicting interests.

By Javad Heirannia

Security problems in Middle East are not clear situations: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “The security problems in the Middle East in which Iran is involved are not clear situations, in which there is one aggressor and one victim.”

By Javad Heirannia

Arab NATO is unlikely to succeed: Askari

TEHRAN – Professor Hossein Askari, an expert on Saudi Arabia who also teaches international business at the George Washington University, believes that if you look at the members of Arab NATO, “it is the ‘usual suspects’ of the Persian Gulf—Saudi Arabia and the UAE plus Saudi Arabia’s tag along that is Bahrain—plus the two mercenaries of the region—Egypt and Jordan whose military are at the service of anyone who can pay and who rely on financial handouts. It is not an effective grouping of countries. Instead it is a military mishmash supported by the United States and Israel.”

By Javad Heirannia

“Arab NATO” will fail: Mehran Kamrava

TEHRAN - Mehran Kamrava, a professor of the Middle East Studies in Georgetown University of Doha, tells the Tehran Times that attempts to form a military alliance against Iran (Arab NATO) will fail.

By Javad Heirannia

Arab NATO is not viable military alliance: Jahanpour

TEHRAN - Professor Farhang Jahanpour, part-time tutor on Middle Eastern affairs in the Department of Continuing Education, University of Oxford, and a member of Kellogg College says that I do not believe that Arab NATO is “a viable military alliance.”

By Martin Love

The U.S. has become a threat to itself, too…

I can’t help but imagine what a glorious world we might have were there to be accord between the U.S. and Iran, and if not actual accord, at least a Middle East where the U.S. treats each country in the region individually and equally, determining policies and initiatives and even criticism in a two-way give and take, the critique based solely on whether any actor is pursuing their own foreign policies with an aim to rid the region of violence and focus on beneficial, mutual trade and better relations.

Tehran security conference slated for early 2019

TEHRAN – The third Tehran security conference will be held early next year with the motto of regional security in West Asia, prospect of stability, cooperation and collective progress.

Regional states able to settle disputes through consultation: Larijani

TEHRAN - Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Sunday that there is no need for interference of foreigners in the affairs of countries in the Middle East.

By Martin Love

Take heart: the next 100 years will be better

Occasionally it makes sense to stand back and take a look at history from a long-term perspective, and in this regard I am talking about the last 100 years, which really have not been kind to the Middle East, its diverse people, and even to Islam.