This article is being written just hours after Iran launched a missile attack (January 8) against two military bases in Iraq. The targets were the Ein al-Assad base in western Iraq and the Harir base located some 70 miles west of the Iran-Iraq border. These bases host United States Forces, as well as International Coalition Forces that are fighting ISIS…

The Middle East is a chain of links. Everything is connected. Understanding the links is critical to developing an accurate picture of reality. I wanted to take the opportunity to provide a contextualized snapshot of the region along with my predictions of what we can expect in the short term. I hope you find this brief overview helpful.   Lebanon…

October 21, 2019 The screams and mass protests – unprecedented in volume and intensity – which erupted in Lebanon on Thursday, October 17th are screams of despair and demand for a profound change. The precise, straightforward, and exhaustive way to describe the background to the protests is that the Lebanese – young, old, Sunni, Christian, Shi’ite, Druze – are just…

In Part 1 of my three-part analysis, “Alarms on the Lebanese – Israel Border might be Last Wake-up Call for Western Leaders” (September 11, 2019), I explained and contextualized the events of September 1, 2019, on the Israeli Lebanese border. In Part 2,  “Alarms on the Lebanese – Israeli Border (Part 2) Iran’s Hegemonic Modus Operandi” (September 13, 2019) I…

Over the past week, mass protests and riots have spread throughout Iraq’s major cities. Reportedly, more than 100 protestors have been killed, and more than 6,000 have been injured.  This is not the first time such protests have broken out in Iraq – particularly in Baghdad and southern Iraq. And like before, most of the protesters are Shi’ites. However, there…

In Part 1 of this Article, I explained and contextualized the events of September 1 on the Israeli Lebanese border. I ended the article by saying the following: "It is likely that yesterday’s short round between Israel and Hezbollah might be the last wake-up call for Western leaders. It should be clear that the potential for a severe, rapid escalation…

In Part 1 of this Article, I explained and contextualized the events of September 1 on the Israeli Lebanese border. I ended the article by saying the following: "It is likely that yesterday’s short round between Israel and Hezbollah might be the last wake-up call for Western leaders. It should be clear that the potential for a severe, rapid escalation…

This short document is being written in light of a seemingly – for now – contained, short round of violence between Israel and Hezbollah on September 1, 2019.  In Part 1 of this 2-part article, I will briefly explain how and why we have reached this phase. And in Part 2 I will explain what must be done to prevent…

Iran wants to gain control of the area from Iran to the Mediterranean Sea. The way they are attempting to do that is through flooding the area with militants and missiles. Controlling Iraq is critical to that end.

Will Iran increase and perhaps escalate their attacks on U.S. assets in Iraq? Or does the Iranian compromise signal that they are interested in calming tensions with the US and that they will stop using their proxies in Iraq to provoke the U.S?

At this point in time, Iran has a strong interest in an all out massive Israeli-Palestinian war.

Following the shooting of a long-range rocket from the Gaza Strip targeting the center of Israel, on Monday, March 25th, Israel attack military positions of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s retaliation sparked 36 hours of exchange of fire between the sides. As of March 28th, the hostilities have ceased. Yet it is Important to…

FEBRUARY 12, 2019 Poland Summit Strives for Stability in the Middle East (as published in The Atlantic Council IranSource) BY AVI MELAMED US and Poland flags (US State Department) The Trump administration accurately identified the Iranian threat and has, on some significant issues, acted accordingly—including the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the application of…