Yemen’s Future: Partition, Hezbollisation or Talibanisation?

It remains possible that the current talks with the Houthis will lead nowhere and the Saudis remain half-heartedly engaged in the conflict. All public information to date, however, suggests imminent Saudi capitulation and disengagement is much more likely. If so, this would, one way or another, inevitably result in Yemen quickly becoming a theocratic clone of Iran as well as a strategically invaluable military base for the IRGC.

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China won’t and can’t help Israel with Iran

Cohen may have believed that it can’t hurt to raise Israeli priorities vis-à-vis Iran when speaking with his Chinese counterpart, but he must surely know that Israel absolutely cannot expect or rely on any help from Beijing. It is highly unlikely that the CCP will play any constructive role for Israel. But it can play, and currently is playing, a very destructive one.

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A remarkable achievement, but still much more to do

Without diminishing the seriousness of Israel’s political crisis, it’s vitally important not to lose sight of the resilient and positive outlook in the country as a whole – a country whose history, and current overall national life and institutions, reflect economic, cultural, defence and technological achievements that are so remarkable as to be almost miraculous.

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Iran’s ongoing strategic success across a mercurial Middle East

With the region’s major players veering almost overnight from existential adversaries to close partners and often back to adversaries again just as quickly, the only real thread running through the vicissitudes of the area over recent decades has been the continuing progress of Iran’s seemingly inexorable imperial jihad. No matter how much has changed, only Iran’s imperial expansion has been continuous.

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Local reports on Holy Sepulchre flare-up omit key information

Contrary to media reports that Israeli police had arbitrarily restricted the numbers of worshippers allowed to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Holy Fire ceremony on April 15, it was the Church’s own staff architect that had asked the police to set those precise limits in the interests of safety, according to a letter reprinted by…

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