A victory in the June contest by a figure more radical than current Iranian President Hassan Rouhani could escalate Iran’s demands at the bargaining table and its destabilizing policies in the region, analysts say, putting in danger any hope of . more > By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times - Sunday, February 7, 2021
The United States and Iran are at a diplomatic stalemate as both sides dig in and refuse to make the first move toward the resurrection of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, including the U.S.
President Biden and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said in no uncertain terms Sunday that their respective nation will not make the first formal overture, dashing hopes among Democratic lawmakers, pro-diplomacy advocates and some U.S. allies that the Biden administration would bring with it a rapid thawing of relations with Tehran and
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
In an unprecedented flurry of authoritarian activity for a new president, the Hologram has signed 43 executive orders in his first dozen days in office. This from someone who as a candidate claimed that “Trump was a dictator” in signing various executive orders, as noted here:
“I’ve got to get the votes,” said then-candidate Biden.
“I have this strange notion, we are a democracy … if you can’t get the votes … you can’t [legislate] by executive order unless you’re a dictator. We’re a democracy. We need consensus,” said Biden.
Yet, it is abundantly clear that Biden is essentially ruling by diktat in reversing dozens of Trump policies – from canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline to enabling “transgenders” in the armed forces to opening the border (and ceasing construction of the wall) to rejoining the Paris Climate Accords. Others being contemplated could involve curbing Second Amendment rights, a return to the Obama-era
21 Jan 2021
Zeinab Soleimani, daughter of late Iranian terrorist Qasem Soleimani, threatened former President Donald Trump via Twitter on Wednesday following his departure from the White House, writing that he will “live in fear of foes” indefinitely.
As president, Trump ordered a fatal drone strike against Soleimani the head of the Quds Force, an elite foreign arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while he was visiting Baghdad and meeting with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the founder and leader of the Hezbollah Brigades, a jihadist militia. The strike also eliminated al-Muhandis, a senior official within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an increasingly influential coalition of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The IRGC is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and American officials believe Soleimani to be personally responsible for hundreds of American deaths and thousands of injuries.
Throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, American foreign policy in the Middle East diverged significantly from that of Europe, prompting a period of tensions not seen since the 2003 Iraq war, when President George W. Bush divided European allies into those who supported the U.S. and those who were critical. Trump’s tenure did not force such a divide between European partners, but his actions and policies toward the Middle East have nevertheless caused controversy on the old continent. It therefore comes as no surprise that most European leaders have welcomed Joe Biden’s election with great expectations. For Europe, the Middle East is an immediate neighbor; for the U.S, by contrast, it is an important but relatively distant region of the world. With that in mind, the Biden administration should take Europe into account when taking any action in the Middle East.