Middle East – Page 2 – European Neighbourhood Monitor

European Commission warns for risk of higher inflation as a result of Red Sea attacks

On 15 January, Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and operated container ship, the U.S. military has announced. The ship has reportly no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey. Earlier in the day, at approximately […]

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Germany – More than 500 federal and state representatives express support for Iranian opposition’s 10-point program for transition to a secular democratic republic

Middle East, Uncategorized / ENM

In a cross-party initiative, 180 representatives of the Bundestag and 350 members of the German state assemblies signed a joint statement supporting the Iranian people’s uprising and their demand to reject any type of dictatorship, including the deposed shah and the ruling theocracy, in favor of a secular and democratic republic. These representatives also supported Mrs.

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Iranian Opposition Leader Denounces UN’s ‘Moral Failure’ in Scathing Rebuke as Hundreds of Iranians Decry UN Appointment of Iran Regime Envoy at Geneva Rally

Middle East / ENM

Geneva, Switzerland, November 3, 2023 – In a stirring convergence of outrage and solidarity, hundreds of National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) supporters thronged outside the United Nations European Headquarters in Geneva today. The demonstration, fueled by fervent speeches and resounding denouncement, was a direct response to the United Nations’ decision to appoint an

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5G network competition heats up in Middle East

Middle East / ENM

In the Middle East, competition surrounding who will build the 5G network is stiff. 5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019. It is the successor to 4G technology, that provides connectivity to most current mobile phones. Leading providers like Huawei and Nokia are vying

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Former US Secretary of State in meeting with Iran opposition leader: Future of Iran will be a democratic, free republic devoid of any form of dictatorship

Middle East / ENM

Mike Pompeo, the former US Secretary of State, on Friday underscored that one year after the beginning of the uprising against the ruling theocracy in Iran in September 2022, the regime is doomed to fail, and these protests are “aimed at a democratic, free republic of Iran that is devoid of any form of dictatorship.”

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“Bloody Friday” Anniversary Protests in South-east Reinforce Message of Earlier Protests in Iran

Middle East / ENM

The Islamic Republic of Iran saw a new outbreak of large-scale protests on Friday, this time localized in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan, home to the country’s chronically persecuted Baluch minority. Demonstrations were reported in the provincial capital of Zahedan and several other cities on the eve of what has come to be known

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“The end of the EastMed pipeline?”

Middle East / ENM

Francesco Sassi, a Research Fellow Energy Geopolitics & Markets at Ricerche Industriali ed Energetiche in Bologna, discusses how Cyprus has announced the plan for linking its major gas reservoirs to Israel’s east Mediterranean gas fields. He comments: “It seems both Israeli PM Netanyahu and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides back the project, talks are to start

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“To regain its moral compass, the Nobel Peace Prize is in urgent need of reform”

Indo-Pacific, Middle East / ENM

Guest commentary by Saman Rizwan Last weekend, when British Asian TV star, Meera Syal accepted her lifetime achievement award at the Bafta’s she used the platform to urge the TV industry to embrace diversity. In 2023, Western industries still lack the representation to promote a truly inclusive society. And this is no more pertinent than

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“Concerns about the U.S. dollar’s dominance are not justified”

Americas, Middle East / ENM

Commenting on the entry into BRICS of Saudi Arabia, an editorial by Al-Monitor, authored by its foreign affairs correspondent Sabena Siddiqui, argues that concerns about the U.S. dollar’s dominance are not justified. She notes: Oil transactions between China and the Gulf may be settled in Chinese currency, but experts do not foresee an end to

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Tighter cooperation emerges between China and Saudi Arabia

Middle East / ENM

Dr. Samuel Ramani, a researcher in international relations at Oxford University, RUSI associate fellow and author of “Russia in Africa” discusses whether Saudi Arabia is abandoning the West. In particular, he comments how “Saudi Arabia is set to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization”, as this means that “the most immediate consequence is tighter cooperation between

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