Riyadh’s continuing closeness to Pakistan could prevent Washington from allowing the export of nuclear technology to the kingdom. Sometime in March, Saudi Arabia is expected to announce favored bidders for multibillion-dollar contracts for two nuclear power projects. The need for nuclear power in the kingdom, which has the world’s largest easily recoverable oil reserves, is… Keep reading →
Pyongyang has emerged as a critical partner in Tehran’s ‘Axis of Resistance,’ and officials warn that their joint efforts may extend to weapons of mass destruction. High-level meetings between North Korean and Iranian officials in recent months are stoking concerns inside the U.S. government about the depth of military ties between the two American adversaries.… Keep reading →
Tehran is using the Houthis to test President Trump’s resolve, as mounting evidence shows that it is helping the rebels build long-range missiles capable of hitting Gulf capitals. On November 4, a Burkan-2H (Volcano) ballistic missile was launched toward Riyadh by Houthi forces in Yemen and intercepted by a U.S.-supplied Patriot defense system. Wreckage from… Keep reading →
The longstanding cooperation between the two regimes seems to have intensified during Syria’s war, with troubling implications for future missile, chemical, and even nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. North Korea’s decades-old military alliance with the Assad regime is stoking fears inside the Trump administration that Kim Jong-un is not only profiting from Syria’s six-year… Keep reading →
Effective October 13, 2017, President Trump declined to provide certification that the JCPOA is in the United States’ national interest.
On September 21, 2017, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 13810, which broadly expanded U.S. sanctions against North Korea.
On September 11, 2017, the UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed new legislation by a vote of 419–3 that, will strengthen existing sanctions against Russia and also impose additional sanctions against Iran and North Korea.
Areas of focus will likely include a damaged but still dangerous Islamic State, a regrouping al-Qaeda, and the wide network fielded by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah. The U.S. Department of State is expected on July 19 to release its annual counterterrorism report, which will look back at the global terrorist threat and the response… Keep reading →
Whatever understandings the Trump administration reaches after the Islamic State is defeated, it needs to be clear about the stakes: if America does not stop the Iranians in Syria and Iraq, they will soon emerge as the region’s dominant force. During his recent meetings with Arab leaders in Riyadh, President Trump signed up to a… Keep reading →
