Viktor Mikhin

Ever since Libyan Jamahiriya leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and sneakily assassinated by European and American champions of “democracy” in 2011, the country has been mired in unimaginable chaos through the fault of the West. Ten years after externally inspired demonstrations and protests, the oil-rich country has been gripped with political instability…

A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlights the increasingly grave threat posed by the water crisis and drought that endanger the future of millions of Arabs across the Middle East. This crisis is the result of both climate change and callous and self-serving policies adopted by…

There appears to be growing anxiety in Western capitals about the prospects for resuming negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal, with entirely contradictory signals recently.  Tehran has outlined for the first time what looks like a timetable for the resumption of nuclear talks, thereby signaling that it is finally ready to embark on the negotiation process in Vienna. However, having lost the reality of its assessment…

Representatives of Saudi Arabia and Iran held a new round of talks in Baghdad. Iraq is now acting as a mediator to help the two countries ease tensions.  The meeting reportedly discussed “unresolved issues between the two countries in accordance with the previously agreed roadmap, including diplomatic representation between the two countries…

The upcoming October 10 parliamentary elections in Iraq can lead to real changes in the country only if there is a high voter turnout, especially among young people. This opinion is expressed by many international analysts and political scientists. If the apathy observed in society and calls for a boycott of the electoral process persist, the chances of reform remain slim…

In his briefing at the UN Security Council, the organization’s Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, proposed taking advantage of the relative halt in military hostilities in the country to bring together the main regional and international parties concerned. According to the official, this should be done for the sake of preliminary negotiations on confidence-building…

Lebanon’s current problems directly result from the absence of a strong state, as the country has relied on aid instead of building a solid economy. The UN estimates that 78% of the country’s population currently lives in poverty. Where warring factions have empowered and enriched their leaders, the state has consistently refused to provide the essential…

After more than a month of consultations, the UNSC adopted a chairman’s statement calling for the resumption of the African Union (AU) mediation to reach “a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).” The adoption of the resolution coincided with the arrival…

Iran’s months-long effort to enrich uranium has allowed the country to produce enough fuel for a nuclear bomb in just 30 days, a panel of experts told the New York Times.  The Institute for Science and International Security examines reports published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agency has stated that having succeeded in enriching nuclear…

The mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in connection with Iran’s nuclear activities is strictly limited to technical issues and highly confidential, however the political exploitation of the issue is carried on by certain Western powers in stark contradiction with the principles of independence, impartiality, and professionalism that…

A high-level Lebanese government delegation held talks in Syria in an attempt to solve the severe fuel crisis that has paralyzed the entire country. This is the highest level of official visit since the civil war in Syria started, unleashed by the West and the Gulf monarchies, more than a decade ago. The Lebanese delegation, headed…