Category: Blogs

This is what a post-Mattis Pentagon will look like

By Todd Rosenblum

It is not clear when Mattis will leave the Pentagon. What is clear is that his departure will usher in a more conforming leader compliant to this particular president’s unusual and impulsive leadership style. That’s not good.

TRADE IN ACTION October 26, 2018

By Global Business & Economics Program

Quiz: INF, RIP?

By Atlantic Council

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty looks to be entering its final days. Are you all fired up and ready to put your missile knowledge to the test before this arms control treaty falls by the wayside? Spot the difference between GLCMs, SS-20s, and RS-26s with seven questions on the endangered deal.

Second Wave of Resumed Iran Sanctions Targets Banks, Petroleum, Shipping

By Holly Dagres

As part of the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the US Treasury Department will restore sanctions on a number of key Iranian sectors and activities on November 5. Here’s what you need to know about this second set of sanctions:

Trident juncture: NATO’s crisis response put to the test

By Clementine G. Starling

Military forces from thirty-one countries, including all twenty-nine NATO members, plus Finland and Sweden, are participating in Trident Juncture, a major demonstration and test of NATO’s collective response to a fictional armed attack against an allied member state.

Jamal Khashoggi Murder Bolsters Iran’s Strategic Position

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

With international attention glued to the gruesome murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi for the past few weeks, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States have struggled to gain the upper hand over the narrative while Iran has largely been a contented bystander. The crime has weakened the position of Iran’s arch rival at least […]

Three More Reasons to Be Bullish on Ukraine

By Melinda Haring

Ukraine’s civil society is realizing an unfortunate fact: reforming the country is going to be more of a marathon than a sprint. Consequently, pro-reform advocates have had to adjust their expectations. Describing her hopes for the speed of change in Ukraine, Anticorruption Action Center executive director Daria Kaleniuk said that she and her colleagues now […]

Russia-Iran economic deal: Sanctions relief or political game?

By Sara Bazoobandi

In May, the US government announced it would unilaterally withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and re-impose the sanctions previously lifted or waived. While the re-imposition of sanctions is certainly not welcomed by Iran, it is also nothing new. Iran has long struggled with various economic sanctions and the Iranian economy has […]

Ukraine Can Succeed But It Won’t Happen Overnight

By Andrii Osadchuk

With every new election cycle, Ukrainians freeze in hope and despondency. Each time, we face an inner conflict between the desire for fair and systemic change and the fear and distrust acquired from experience. We’ve been trying to break out of this vicious cycle for twenty-seven years, and each time we try, the enthusiasm subsides […]

ICJ Decision a Victory for Iranian Public Diplomacy

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

A recent decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding US sanctions against Iran is an important success story for the Islamic Republic. The ICJ decreed on October 3 that Washington must insure that its sanctions don’t adversely impact humanitarian goods or civil aviation safety in Iran. Even though the Trump administration rejected the […]