Caspian Sea

The battered Western alliance    

Repairing it is essential if we’re to win the current cold war

The gas corridor sanctions forgot: Tehran’s quiet expansion into Turkey

While everyone focuses on tankers transferring the Iranian oil, a massive financial valve remains open to Tehran on NATO’s eastern border. On paper, Iran is entering its most...

Kazakhstan To Join the Abraham Accords, Signaling Opportunity in Central Asia

Kazakhstan has reached out to the United States in an unprecedented fashion — by improving relations with Israel. Prior to a November summit between the United States and five Central Asia countries,...

Eyeing Sanctions ‘Snapback,’ Iran Petitions Russia and China Ahead of E3 Meeting

Iran Solicits Allies: Iranian officials will meet on July 22 with counterparts from two of its Axis of Aggressors allies, Russia and China, to discuss ways to circumvent the reimposition...

Blackout

International Energy Policies Threaten U.S. National Security

Iran is trying to spin Syria crisis for its benefit

Iran is pushing several narratives via state media, including blaming US and Israel for toppling Assad regime, and turning to Russia and other countries.

Central Asia in the Energy Transition

Excerpt The Central Asian region, in terms of energy, has long been known mostly for its vast endowments of oil and gas. Indeed, some of the largest new discoveries of oil anywhere in the world in the...

Russian Ship Likely Carrying Iranian Missiles Docks at Caspian Sea Port

New satellite imagery showed a Russian cargo ship that was likely carrying Iranian ballistic missiles docking at a Russian port on the Caspian Sea, CNN reported on September 11....

Don’t Forget the Air Highways

While U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is focusing his remaining months in office on attaining  compensation fees for U.S. air travelers, a much bigger threat to air travel and transport...

The Despotic Duo

Russo-Iranian Cooperation and Threats to U.S. Interests

Türkiye’s Energy Engagement in Central Asia and the Caucasus

Excerpt In recent years, Türkiye has significantly increased cooperation with the states of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. One of the most important geopolitical developments in recent years in Eurasia...

US International energy policy toward the 2024 elections

While international energy policy is not on the ballot in the 2024 US elections, the election outcome will profoundly impact the U.S. role in international energy developments. Current U.S. energy policies have determined new rules of American engagement in the international arena. ...

Antisemitism, Russian Disinformation and the West

As Russia falsely accuses the West and Ukraine of inciting antisemitic violence on Russian territory, perhaps it’s time for the West to use its own information operations to set the record straight.

Supporting Israel and Ukraine Against Terror

A New Spring for Caspian Transit and Trade

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Insecurity in the Black Sea Puts Upward Pressure on the Global Oil Market

The global oil price is edging toward $100 a barrel. If oil remains high, it will be difficult to bring inflation down. Most blame the Saudi Arabian and Russian oil cuts for the price increase and ignore...

Iran Becomes Full Member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Iran officially became the ninth member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi participating in the organization’s virtual summit on July 4. Iran’s...

Iran Pledges Support for Putin After Failed Mutiny

The chief of the Iranian armed forces general staff, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, invited Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to visit Iran during a phone call on June 28. According to a readout...

How Congress Should Respond to an Interim Iran Deal

WAR IN UKRAINE UPDATE: Battle for Bakhmut Continues; Iran Helps Russia

Russian forces continue to grind forward in street-by-street fighting in the decimated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Having apparently consolidated control over a railway...