US senate rejects bid to repeal war authorization act

The Authorization for Use of Military Force has allowed US presidents to justify military interventions in at least 22 countries over the past two decades

The Iran-Saudi deal: A bid to end endless war

The Beijing-brokered rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh is expected to have significant implications for peace and prosperity in and around West Asia, given the considerable influence the two nations wield in the region.

Human rights coalition urges US Congress to repeal 2002 war authorization

37 rights organizations and anti war groups sent the letter to congressional leadership, urging a repeal of the 2002 AUMF

White House successfully topples anti-war resolution restricting US involvement in Yemen

White House officials pressed lawmakers against voting for the resolution at a time when the Pentagon is due to receive its largest budget ever

Warm neighborly ties can only disappoint enemies: Iran FM

In August last year, President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran is determined and open to the expansion of relations with the UAE

Sudan: The new geopolitical battlefield between east and west?

The potential outbreak of a civil war sparked by a factional fight within Sudan's military government poses a destabilization threat beyond the nation's borders – into Africa, West Asia, and the emerging multipolar order. This suits the west just fine.

Rockets hit US-occupied oilfield in northeast Syria

The US Green Village base in the occupied Al-Omar oilfield is regularly targeted by rocket attacks

China urges Washington to end ‘occupation and marauding’ of Syria

Beijing has repeatedly called on the White House to end its illegal practices inside Syria; the nation was also among the first to send aid to Syria following last month's earthquake

US congress votes against ending occupation of Syria

Around 900 US troops remain illegally stationed in Syria, controlling large swathes of the country's oil-rich regions

Former US envoy, Progressive Caucus urge congress to end illegal occupation of Syria

If the vote on a War Powers resolution legislation passes, the US president will have six months to withdraw troops from Syria as they were deployed without congressional approval

US Congressman introduces legislation to end Syria occupation

The US military occupied strategic areas of Syria under the pretext of fighting ISIS, while hoping to maintain leverage against the Syrian government

Why Azerbaijan is wringing its hands over Turkish elections

Azerbaijan is watching upcoming Turkish elections with a great deal of concern. An Erdogan victory means continuity for Baku's hardline regional policies, but an opposition win may undermine its recent gains.

Saudi Arabia makes its Eurasian shift

Saudi Arabia's recent reconciliations with Iran and Syria under Chinese-Russian guidance is perceived as a step toward reducing Riyadh's dependence on the US, while also advancing Beijing and Moscow's political and economic influence in West Asia.

Xi, Putin call for resumption of JCPOA

The resumption of the JCPOA was one of the several topics discussed during Xi's visit to Moscow

Multipolarity was triggered by the 2003 US invasion of Iraq

Twenty years after the unlawful and destabilizing US-led invasion of Iraq, Washington must face the ultimate consequence of that war: UNSC powers China and Russia laying the foundation for a genuine, UN Charter-based system of multipolarism. 

Russian-Turkish ‘co-opetition’ from Syria to Nagorno-Karabakh

At a time when conflicts are increasingly interconnected, and provide tactical levers to assert pressure elsewhere, the competition between Russia-Iran and Turkiye in Syria and the South Caucasus is destined to overlap.

Exclusive: The hidden security clauses of the Iran-Saudi deal

The Cradle reveals confidential clauses of the agreement struck between Tehran and Riyadh, which was reached courtesy of Beijing.

UN security council renews sanctions regime against Yemen

The sanctions will extend until November, along with the renewal of the mandate of the Yemen Panel of Experts

Why is Egypt’s Navy commanding a NATO-led coalition in the Red Sea?

In recent years Egypt has been developing and strengthening its navy in and around the Red Sea, but this is arguably part of a broader US strategy for the region.

Predictions for 2023? Annus horribilis with some surprising upsides

The Cradle's writers offer up their predictions for 2023. The common theme is massive global shifts, some good, some bad.

Ghajar: The flashpoint town between Lebanon, Syria, and Israel 

The Syrian-Lebanese town of Ghajar, occupied by Israel since 1967, is fixed at the center of a regional geopolitical confrontation.

Israeli far-right officials ‘would not stand in way’ of Saudi normalization: Report

Hebrew media reports say that, if normalization with the kingdom is on the table, Netanyahu would likely freeze West Bank annexation plans

Nuclear armed states spent $82 billion modernizing arsenal in 2021

The US alone spent over $40bln last year modernizing its nuclear arsenal, which is deployed in military bases across the world

Iran disconnects several UN cameras after questioning ‘politically compromised’ IAEA

Officials have made it clear that any IAEA resolution issued against Iran will severely hinder the Vienna talks and any cooperation with the UN agency

Backlash against Pakistan’s military, as political crisis worsens

Pakistan plummets into political chaos a month after Imran Khan's ouster. But this time the military cannot step in to arbitrate, as they are now a focus of public anger.

Joe Biden deploys top delegation to UAE in hopes of mending ties with Gulf ally

In a bid to fix the frayed ties between Washington and Abu Dhabi, the US vice president, state secretary, defense secretary, and CIA chief all travelled to the UAE

‘Mutually Assured Development’: a winning formula for Iran-Saudi rapprochement

Restoring diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia will not only benefit both countries economically, but can help stabilize global oil prices and end the war in Yemen.

Pakistan heads for snap elections amid regime-change allegations

PM Imran Khan has accused the White House of orchestrating a parliamentary coup to remove him from his post

Why the UAE is shrugging off Washington’s diktats

When the UAE cast an abstaining vote on a US-backed UNSC resolution to condemn Russia, all hell broke loose. But Abu Dhabi is increasingly refusing to 'take sides' for Washington, and now insists on pursuing its own priorities.

United Nations extends Syria cross-border aid

The UN did not put the renewal procedure up to a vote in the Security Council