Articles from ‘Independent News Roundup’ in ‘Geopolitics’

Tehran may engage in self-defense against Kiev over its “drone support” for Israel, a senior legislator says · FILE PHOTO. A Shahed-136 kamikaze drone on display during a rally Tehran, Iran. ©  Getty Images / NurPhoto / Morteza Nikoubazl · [RT] Ukraine has become a party to the war launched by the  US and Israel against Iran, senior Iranian MP Ebrahim Azizi has said, threatening potential retaliation against Kiev. · The…

The Third Gulf War is radically reshaping the Gulf Kingdoms’ perceptions of American reliability and leading them to consider the need to negotiate a post-war regional security arrangement with Iran. · Andrew Korybko · Reuters reported that “Behind the scenes, resentment is mounting ​in Gulf Arab capitals at being drawn into a war they neither initiated nor endorsed but are now paying for economically and militarily”. They added that…

Alex Krainer · Following on from yesterday’s discussion, Mario Nawfal pointed out during our interview on Wednesday that crude oil prices were actually falling, suggesting the Middle East situation was under control and that commercial shipping would soon normalize. The markets were seemingly converging on that view. Namely, on Monday, 9 March, the Brent crude oil price spiked, reaching almost $120/bbl during the morning hours - more…

Alex Krainer · Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining journalist Mario Nawfal for an interview focused on the possible disruptions stemming from the regional war in the Middle East and which escalated very significantly with Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyahu’s attack on Iran on 28 February 2026. · The interview hasn’t been published yet but Mr. Nawfal was curious about the way I saw this war impacting Western economies and…

The lack of any meaningful economic relationship with Iran predetermined that most countries would support any resolution against it if unofficially forced to choose between the Islamic Republic and the Gulf Kingdoms to whom they’re dependent to some degree on energy imports. · Andrew Korybko · The UNSC just adopted a resolution condemning Iran for its attacks against the Gulf Kingdoms, including against civilian and residential areas, after…

Reflections on an ancient and timely concept. · John Leake · During the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly before Dr. Peter McCullough gave his first Senate testimony about the official pandemic response, he had a conversation with his church pastor, Andrew Forrest, about medical centers refusing to administer certain safe and effective treatments to desperately ill patients. · “It’s as though, for the first time in history, our medical…

The first more softly criticizes them and conveys “politically inconvenient” realities with a bit more tact while the second is much harsher and comparatively uncouth. · Andrew Korybko · Rubio’s speech at this year’s Munich Security Conference was loudly cheered by the Europeans, some of whom sharply contrasted it with Vance’s from the year prior, which they considered insulting. Vance had chastised them for their embrace of…

Trump moved on three fronts to break Lloyd's insurance blockade — but the bigger story is the Khamenei family money trail leading straight to London, and why Bolton, Carney, and the old imperial order are all standing outside the fence looking in. · Susan Kokinda · Lloyd’s of London reversed its suspension of tanker insurance in the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump moved on three fronts: the U.S. Development Finance…

Trump might be receptive to Putin’s speculative peace plan for ending the Gulf and Ukrainian Conflicts at once in order for the global energy market to recover in time for early November’s midterms. · Andrew Korybko · Trump and Putin spoke for the first time this year on Monday in a conversation that touched upon the Third Gulf War, the content of which Putin’s senior aide Yury Ushakov described as “very substantive” and “useful”, among other…

Alex Krainer · To defeat U.S. and Israel, Iran does not have to win the ongoing war in the Middle East. They only need to survive and it looks like they are more than surviving. This shouldn’t surprise anyone paying even casual attention to the events. · According to The Washington Post, US intelligence community produced a classified assessment of the situation shortly before the US and Israel launched their military operations…