Know thy enemy
In the recent Iran-Israel conflict the Islamic Republic of Iran was able to withstand the combined onslaughts by the two bullies. Israel was the un-disputed bully of the Middle East…
Not about women
A LITTLE over a decade ago, in 2013, Lila Abu-Lughod’s book Do Muslim Women Need Saving? caused a stir, admittedly for its provocative title. The anthropologist dove into understanding the…
Escalating US-Iran tensions
AFTER conducting three rounds of talks, which began on April 12, a fourth round between the US and Iran slated for today (May 3) in Rome has been postponed, presumably by Tehran…
Iran’s rulers caught between Trump’s crackdown and a fragile economy
For Iran’s clerical leaders, engaging with the “Great Satan” to hammer out a nuclear deal and ease crippling sanctions may for once be the lesser of two evils. Though it…
Straws in the Syrian whirlwind
THE pendulum of zealotry almost always ushers in intellectual subterfuge in its wake. The lightning, if not spontaneous, takeover of Damascus by mediaeval militias is being predictably applauded by Western journalists as…
Threats and diplomacy: Iran’s dual strategy on Israel
Awaiting Israel’s promised retaliation for a missile attack earlier this month, Iran has balanced threats of a fierce response to any Israeli attack with diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation into…
Measures aimed at checking inflation
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for October 2024 was 7.2 percent against 6.9 percent the month before – a rise of 0.3 percent which, barring June 2024 when it rose…
My enemy’s enemy
AMERICA has allies while its enemies have proxies; America’s allies have governments that must be supported while its enemies have regimes that must be changed. And right now, in the…
Iran shrugs off Israel strikes, showing restraint
After Israel’s deadly strikes, Iran lauded its defences while media outlets dismissed the assault as “weak”, signalling what analysts say is the Islamic republic’s reluctance to escalate further. Saturday’s Israeli…
Iran hits back
FOR the first two weeks of this month, the Western media’s main focus was on how Iran might react to an egregious Israeli provocation. On the first of April, a…
