Iran

Putin Reawakens the Russian Bear

February 13, 2012 (Vietnamica) — Coverage of Vladimir Putin’s impending return to the Presidency of Russia on March 4th has so far focused almost exclusively on the menace posed to Russia’s teetering democracy.  Conspicuously, little analysis has been offered regarding the impact Putin’s eminent reprisal of the Kremlin’s top job is having on Russia’s foreign policy – particularly when it comes to how political events are playing out in Syria and the Middle East.

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U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran

February 7, 2012 (Vietnamica) –U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order (NYT) implementing new economic sanctions against Iran that will freeze all property of the Iranian Central Bank, the Iranian government, and the country’s financial institutions in the United States. The new rules could also penalize financial institutions in other countries that conduct business with the Iranian Central Bank. The move is meant to limit the central bank’s ability to sell oil on the international market by blocking its payments.

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Considering a U.S.-Iranian Deal

January 25, 2012 (by George Friedman, Stratfor; Repub. by Vietnamica) — Last week, I wrote on the strategic challenge Iran faces in its bid to shape a sphere of influence stretching from western Afghanistan to Beirut on the eastern Mediterranean coast. I also pointed out the limited options available to the United States and other Western powers to counter Iran.

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CFR: EU to Impose Oil Embargo

January 24, 2012 (Vietnamica) — The European Union imposed an embargo on Iranian oil (Reuters), banning all new contracts, while honoring existing agreements until July 1. The move is part of a broader Western effort to sanction Iran over its nuclear program (BBC), which the United States and the EU contend is for the manufacturing of nuclear weapons. Earlier this month, Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz–a vital passageway for much of the world’s oil–in response to new sanctions. Meanwhile, U.S., British, and French warships passed through the strait without facing any confrontation.

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Iran, the U.S. and the Strait of Hormuz Crisis

January 17, 2012 (By George Friedman, Stratfor; Repub. by Vietnamica) — The United States reportedly sent a letter to Iran via multiple intermediaries last week warning Tehran that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz constituted a red line for Washington. The same week, a chemist associated with Iran’s nuclear program was killed in Tehran. In Ankara, Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani met with Turkish officials and has been floating hints of flexibility in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

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Stratfor’s Annual Forecast 2012

January 12, 2012 (Vietnamica) –There are periods when the international system undergoes radical shifts in a short time. The last such period was 1989-1991. During that time, the Soviet empire collapsed. The Japanese economic miracle ended. The Maastricht Treaty creating contemporary Europe was signed. Tiananmen Square defined China as a market economy dominated by an unchallenged Communist Party, and so on. Fundamental components of the international system shifted radically, changing the rules for the next 20 years.

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