by Shireen T. Hunter
Since the Soviet Union dissolved in December 1991, articles have appeared in the West arguing that, sooner or later, Iran’s ethnic and linguistic diversity will lead it to go the way of the USSR and dissolve into several states. Moreover, subscribers to this theory believe that the United States should encourage such a disintegrative process by further isolating Iran economically and politically, while also supporting its separatist elements.

by Seyed Hossein Mousavian
Pressure has once again become the name of the game in regards to U.S. policy on Iran. The Senate has passed sweeping new sanctions, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declared that the U.S. will “counter Iran’s aspiration of hegemony” and work towards a “peaceful transition” of the Iranian government. As U.S.-Iran tensions increase in eastern Syria, murmurs are growing of a potential disastrous war on the horizon.

Michel Makinsky
An interesting interview of Emmanuel Macron, the new French president, has Been released on this Thursday,23 June by several newspapers, including the French daily Le Figaro. Its main topic is Syria. As it is not published in the front-page, it has not received much attention. However, this statement deserves a careful reading, as it shows what we may consider at least as a significant change in France’s current policy towards Syria. And even beyond. It may be a turning point. 

American Herald Tribune | David Swanson: The U.S. Senate has increased sanctions on the people of Iran and Russia, if the House and President go along. The Senate vote was 98-2, with Senators Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders voting no, the latter despite his support for the Russian half of the bill.

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned the administration of Donald Trump against imposing new economic sanctions against Iran, saying such a move could push the country into a corner and that would be dangerous.

Fariborz S. Fatemi   
There he goes again, Trump, Putin’s “useful idiot.” With the Russian ghost hanging around his head, he travels to Saudi Arabia for idolization. This was not a trip to atone for his insults to Islam, one of the world’s three great religions, or a trip about security.   Put simply, it was about the sordid business deals of himself, his family and entourage.  Money. Money. Money.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, the hawkish strategic theorist and former US President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, has died at the age of 89.

Iran and Portugal have signed a document on abolition of visas for those holding political or service passports in a meeting in Tehran on Saturday.

Tadeusz Kościński
In an exclusive interview with MNA, Polish Deputy Minister of Economy Tadeusz Kościński stressed the similar structure of Iran and Poland’s economies as a golden gateway to forming strong economic partnership.

Kaveh L. Afrasiabi
Dr. Hassan Rouhani deserves a second term as Iran’s president and the overall sum of his accomplishments during his first term are, indeed, quite impressive and need to be sustained for another four years.