Viktor Mikhin
Iraq May Be on the Verge of a Civil Strife
A Reshuffling of the Alliances in the Persian Gulf
The failure of US president Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East and the inability of his administration to make any real contribution to solving the problems currently faced by the region have set in motion new processes in the Arab world and heightened their determination to organize their mutual relations as they best see fit. Perhaps the most striking example…
Biden’s Disastrous Visit to the Middle East
Some time ago, it seemed that there was no more important topic in the United States and the world media controlled by it than the visit of President Joe Biden to the Middle East that had been anticipated and then took place. Well-paid commentators, “pundits and experts” who could hardly find Saudi Arabia on a geographical map and twisted the name of the Saudi…
Yemen is in the Grip of a Severe Humanitarian Crisis
Several months of truce in Yemen have significantly reduced the number of civilian casualties. Yet, people are still dying from mines, but this figure has decreased by two-thirds compared to previous months. Since 2015, Yemen has been divided between government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and the Houthi rebel group, also known as “Ansar Allah…
Iraq: Muqtada al-Sadr’s Calculations and Miscalculations
Last month, Shiite populist leader Muqtada al-Sadr called for his supporters to resign from the Iraqi parliament. Out of 73 deputies, 64 members bound by party discipline resigned immediately and were quickly replaced by others from other parties. The unprecedented for Iraq, but quick move could turn the entire electoral map over in favor of Sadr’s rival, the Coordination…
New U-turn in Saudi-Turkish Relations
Ahead of US President Joe Biden’s important visit to the Middle East, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also paid visits to a number of Arab countries and Turkey in a bid to strengthen his position. It was the latter visit that was the most important and significant in the history of the two countries. At least the Saudi media…
Egypt’s worries about the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said his country was pursuing “diplomacy and patience” on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue, although he added firmly that “no one will compromise on Egypt’s water quota.” This rather firm statement by the Egyptian President came after Ethiopia announced plans to unilaterally implement…
Arab World on the Eve of Joe Biden’s Visit
The Arab world seems to be not only making successful attempts at unification, but also seeking to play a more active role on the international arena. And here Russia’s plans to transform the selfish unipolar world into a multipolar one, where the interests of all countries, including the Arab states, would be fully taken into account, are consonant with it. In this context…
What is President Biden Looking for in the Middle East?
A “dramatic and landmark” decision has finally been made in Washington on Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East. The White House made generalities, announcing that the US President would visit Israel and Saudi Arabia on July 13-16 to meet with officials and discuss a range of issues, including Israel’s growing “security and prosperity and…
Lebanon: Hard Choices after the Elections
Despite recent parliamentary elections in Lebanon, which are seen as a success, albeit a modest one, the small Mediterranean country is still frozen in suspense and chaos could return to the country. After the held elections, the Lebanese are now at a difficult crossroads: they must immediately appoint a prime minister, form a government and the parliament must…
Libya in the Throes of a Serious Political Crisis
After Mohamed al-Menfi, president of the Libyan Presidential Council, met with UN General Secretary António Guterres, he spoke highly of the work done by the UN’s mission in Libya “to support the people in reaching a peaceful solution to restore security, stability and peace to the country.” However, in reality he was probably…
Arab World-US: In Search of a New Policy
It is clear that US relations with the Gulf states and the rest of the Arab world, which it considers “strategic partners,” have been tense in recent times. And the sources of such tension are well known. The main one at the moment is the so-called Ukrainian crisis, artificially induced by the US which has invested all its diplomatic, political, economic and military weight…