European Union

Lebanon: France Is Confusing the Symptom with the Disease

Faced with the escalation in Lebanon, France calls for a ceasefire without addressing the central issue: the disarmament of Hezbollah. This stance marginalizes it.

Americans shouldn’t cry for Orban

Never ignore the voters. After 16 years in power, Hungary’s corpulent Prime Minister Viktor Orban lost touch with the conservative base that supported him from the start, believing...

Iran at a crossroads: Australia’s opportunities and pitfalls

Over the last few weeks, the Islamist regime in Tehran has expanded the scope of its hostage-taking operation. Not satisfied with only taking Western citizens hostage and then extorting their governments,...

Center-Right Party’s Overwhelming Victory in Hungarian Election Could Boost EU Support for Ukraine

After 16 years in power, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was resoundingly defeated in the country’s general election on April 12. The victory of the center-right Tisza Party led by Peter Magyar...

Why Hungary’s two-faced Orbán deserves to lose his re-election bid

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary is on the ropes in his latest bid for reelection, down by double-digit margins in the latest polls. So he brought in a ringer. Vice President JD Vance, a star...

5 Men Now Running Iran

The joint U.S.-Israeli campaign has eliminated the Islamic Republic’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and his son and successor Mojtaba has yet to appear publicly. However, the regime remains intact. The...

Turkey the new Iran? Ankara’s growing challenge to Western interests

Turkey’s growing regional influence and ties to Hamas challenge NATO and US security.

The Broken Promise of the Panama Papers, Ten Years On

The scandal thrust financial secrecy into the spotlight. Why is dirty money still such a big problem?

How to Tackle Venezuela’s (and the World’s) ‘Odious Debt’ Problem

Venezuela could be a test case for reforming international finance’s lending to authoritarian governments.

The War in Iran Is Painful for Poland. It May Also Be in Poland’s Interest.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 12-14 percent of Europe's liquefied natural gas flows, puts Poland's energy diversification strategy to a serious test. However, this is nothing compared to the risk posed by a nuclear-armed Iran supplying Russia with advanced missiles and drones.

Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism

Trump Excoriates European Countries for Imposing Restrictions on U.S. Action Against Iran

Trump Condemns France for Preventing Military Flights to Israel: U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 31 that France “has been VERY UNHELPFUL” regarding military operations...

America can bankrupt Iran’s insiders — And it should

Tens of billions of dollars have been siphoned out of the Iranian economy by the Islamic Republic’s insiders over the past decade. If the U.S. wasn’t watching then, it is now. “We...

Iran is not Venezuela, President Trump, and this man is no moderate

Seeking a shortcut out of Iran, the administration considers its Venezuela playbook.

Interim Venezuelan president ousts defense chief as Washington makes limited progress in Caracas

Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez replaced longtime Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López with General Gustavo Gonzalez López on March 18, followed by implementing a sweeping reshuffle of...

Iran’s New Security Chief Marches to the Same Tune as His Predecessors

Regime officials in Tehran are playing musical chairs with vacant positions. Israel’s elimination of Ali Larijani on March 16 has left Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) in the hands of...

Europe’s Iran Moment

Iran is cracking from within. Europe must decide whether to shape what comes next.

Defying Trump, Swiping at Israel: Pedro Sanchez’s Brilliant, Empty Foreign Policy

Spain formally withdrew its ambassador from Israel on March 11. The announcement, published in the Boletin Oficial del Estado, terminated the appointment of Ana Maria Salomon Perez, downgrading Madrid’s...

Death of a Holocaust denier

Over decades, Iran proved itself adept at fertilizing the lies that reside at the heart of anti-Zionist ideology, turning them into common-sense notions among adherents.

Russia Sanctions Relief Offers Moscow a Windfall, Little Relief to Energy Markets

Russia is getting a financial boost from an unexpected source: the U.S. Treasury Department. On March 12, the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a one-month general license authorizing...