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Shafaq News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq: US security warning highlights risk of Shiite factions confrontation
SHafaq News - Baghdad In a significant development that could reshape Iraq's power dynamics, leading voices within the country's Shia religious and political establishment have called for the disarmament of non-state militias and the reinforcement of state authority, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy said in an anlaysis published on Thursday. The coordinated messaging suggests a deepening rift between Iraq's traditional religious leadership and Iran-aligned armed groups operating outside government control. On June 26, Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, the official representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, delivered a sermon in Karbala calling for fundamental reform and the enforcement of state authority in Iraq. Karbalai emphasized that the country's future depends on implementing a national governance framework rooted in integrity and institutional legitimacy. Referencing "the Supreme Religious Authority"—meaning Ayatullah Sistani—the sermon called for Iraqi elites to stand up to external interference in all its forms, uphold the rule of law, limit arms to state authorities, and combat corruption at all levels. Karbalai's comments were widely interpreted as an implicit critique of the self-styled muqawama (resistance), the collection of Iran-backed militias that operate outside the state's control despite avowedly being under the prime minister's command. This message was quickly echoed by Shia cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who on July 4 issued a direct and unambiguous demand to dissolve the militias and restore the state's monopoly on armed force. On social media, Sadr declared: "Falsehood shall not be repelled except by handing over uncontrolled weapons to the state, dissolving the militias, strengthening the army and police, and ensuring Iraq's independence, without following the corrupt, and striving earnestly for reform and holding the corrupt accountable.' Together, these statements mark an escalating confrontation between Iraq's nationalist religious authorities and the entrenched influence of Iran-backed militias. As tensions rise, the calls for disbanding these armed groups could set the stage for a broader political and security realignment in Baghdad.
Arab Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Dennis Ross' dangerous assistants are among us!
American Jewish politician Dennis Ross is considered one of the most prominent diplomats specializing in Middle East peace process. Ross played a crucial role in shaping the American role in the peace process, particularly during the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He worked closely with Secretaries of State James Baker, Warren Christopher, and Madeleine Albright. Ross was a mediator in important agreements, such as the 1995 Oslo II Accord, the 1997 Hebron Agreement, and the Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty. Ross is an advisor at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a Ziegler Fellow. He previously held senior positions in the National Security Council and the US State Department. In Israeli and American circles, Ross is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the peace process, working silently behind the scenes to promote normalization and possibly recruit supporters and agents to promote his ideas, which tend toward a Zionist perspective. Ross has already succeeded in building a broad network of relationships with political and media figures in the Middle East. He organized and participated in numerous conferences in Europe that brought together Arab and Gulf supporters to present his vision for normalization of ties with Israel, which, some critics argue, ignores Palestinian rights or calls for accepting that justice is with the strong, whether this is consistent with logic and history or not. Jordanian colleague Ahmed Atawneh wrote: 'Americans, whether in official positions or research and academic institutions, introduce themselves as exceptional experts and guardians capable of formulating the most appropriate plans, formulas, and approaches to international crises. On behalf of the people, they decide what is best for them and determine what — from the American perspective — will guarantee them a secure and prosperous future. Those who do not respond to this ready-made American prescription will face dire consequences.' Ross handles the Palestinian crisis and the current Gaza war with the same approach, offering endless political proposals and visions for the post-war period, as demonstrated in his article entitled 'Israel Needs a New Strategy,' published in The Independent Arabia on March 16, 2024. Given his extensive experience with the Palestinian issue, Ross suggested that the first step in the strategy should be the establishment of a mechanism to address the humanitarian situation, led by the United States and involving Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar. He cited Saudi Arabia's expertise in crowd management and the ability of the UAE and Qatar to finance prefabricated housing. It is worth noting that many of those who met Ross, collaborated with him or participated in conferences he attended played a broad local and regional role in promoting his vision for peace, which his critics consider biased toward the Israeli vision and seeking to impose solutions that do not meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people. It is not difficult to identify his 'agents' living among us.
Los Angeles Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
U.S. strikes crippled Iran's nuclear program, Israeli analysis finds
THE HAGUE — Israel's preliminary analysis of the damage caused by U.S. strikes on Iran's main nuclear facilities — based in part from on-the-ground assessments — shows the attacks inflicted widespread destruction, a senior Israeli official said. The official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said that Tehran has been 'actively trying to hide the damage' from the attacks, which President Trump said in The Hague on Wednesday had all but eliminated Iran's enrichment program. Trump, who repeatedly defended the effectiveness of the strikes at the NATO Summit, made reference to individuals who had been on the ground to assess the damage, without providing details. 'I can't say it's a final assessment, because we're less than a week after. It's not like we can send officers openly. But that's the indication we have now,' the official said. A spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry on Wednesday said the bombing raid 'badly damaged' the nuclear sites, but the Iranian government has said it will continue its nuclear efforts, which it insists are for peaceful purposes. A full review of the mission could take weeks, and experts have expressed skepticism of declarative statements by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the U.S. operation was a success within mere days of the attack. 'Battlefield damage assessment is an imprecise art, with initial estimates frequently being way off,' said Patrick Clawson, an expert on Iran and director for research at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 'I would be very suspicious of any claims — by Iran, by Trump, by Israel — about what has happened to Iran's enriched uranium stocks or to its centrifuges.' Israel's preliminary findings come after an initial assessment from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency cast doubt on the effectiveness of the American strikes, stating with low confidence that Iran had retained the core elements of its nuclear program despite the attacks, one U.S. official familiar with the findings told The Times. The DIA assessment was first reported by CNN. The U.S. attack followed nine days of an Israeli military campaign that decimated Iran's air defenses, its military leadership and its ballistic missile stockpiles, while degrading its nuclear facilities. Israeli intelligence has also monitored the reaction to the campaign among Iranian leadership, which has struggled to comprehend the extent of the damage itself, the Israeli official said. 'We don't believe everyone in the leadership knows what really happened, because the whole program was compartmentalized — they weren't sharing a lot of information, and a lot of the officers who were highly involved on the ground level were eliminated,' the official continued. 'So a lot of the top leadership hasn't fully begun to understand what's happened.' The developing intelligence picture comes as Trump defended the U.S. mission, called Operation Midnight Hammer, during multiple appearances at the NATO Summit in The Hague on Wednesday. 'It's been obliterated, totally obliterated,' he said of Iran's nuclear facilities. Addressing the DIA report, he added, 'They did a report, but it was like, if you look at the dates, it's just a few days after.' The U.S. deployment of massive, 'bunker-buster' munitions targeting Iran's main nuclear sites — including six dropped on Fordo, a facility burrowed deep into the side of a mountain — was intended to bury its most advanced equipment and most highly enriched uranium, which can be used to build nuclear warheads. Initial assessments of the damage were unclear, but since then, Trump said, 'we've collected additional intelligence. We've also spoken to people that have seen the site, and the site is obliterated.'
Shafaq News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Strategic shift: US strike on Iran signals new era of military engagement
Shafaq News – Tehran/Washington The United States' recent military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities marks a sharp shift in Washington's Middle East strategy, according to a new report from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The operation, dubbed 'Midnight Hammer,' represents a move from a traditionally defensive US posture to an offensive one, with far-reaching implications for regional stability and US-Israeli relations. The report is based on a June 23 policy forum featuring senior security and diplomatic experts Dana Stroul, Michael Herzog, and Dennis Ross. The discussion took place before Tehran's retaliatory strike on US bases in Qatar and the subsequent ceasefire with Israel, yet it provides crucial context for understanding Washington's evolving strategy. Stroul emphasized the contrast between the Biden administration's cautious military posture following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the aggressive approach taken under former President Trump's decision to launch a June 21 strike against Iran. According to her, this move represents a significant departure from the prior goal of containing conflict and defending US and allied interests. The operation itself demonstrated the unmatched precision and reach of the US military. It marked the first operational use of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb and involved extraordinary coordination with Israeli forces. Despite its tactical success, however, the report underscores lingering uncertainty about the actual damage inflicted on Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
Al Manar
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Manar
US Diplomat Calls for Direct Clash between Lebanese Army and Hezbollah
David Schenker, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affair, considered that this would be the best time to disarm Hezbollah, provoking the Lebanese to engage in an internal strife for the sake of the US-Israeli interests. In an article published by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and titled 'There Is No Better Time to Disarm Hezbollah', Schenker said that national dialogue proposed by the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will waste the 'historical chance' to demilitarize the Resistance in Lebanon. 'As in previous failed national dialogues, it appears that Hezbollah is once again embracing talks as a delay tactic.' Schenker presented the political approach of President Aoun, who is committed to sustaining the national unity, as a failed strategy that will fail to disarm Hezbollah. The former US diplomat, well-known for his pro-Israeli stances, also said that Aoun's talk about integrating some of Hezbollah fighters into the Lebanese Army is rejected with respect to the US administration and the Zionist government. Finally Schenker expected that if the Lebanese government persists and broadens its efforts against Hezbollah, there will be a violent clash. However, he said, 'Despite the risks, however, there will never be a more favorable time to disarm Hezbollah—with or without its consent—than now.'
