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No Room for U.S. Concessions on Iran's Civilian Nuclear Aims

November 7, 2018  •  The National Interest

The Trump administration, after reinstating sanctions on the Iranian regime Monday, now seeks to convey that more pressure is on the way. But the messaging by U.S. officials has been mixed, leaving some doubt as to where Washington's Iran policy goes from here.

For example, it was unclear until only a few days ago whether Iran would be booted from SWIFT, the Belgium-based financial messaging service that is crucial to keeping Iran's central bank connected to the international banking system. A majority of Iranian banks are now slated to be disconnected from the ubiquitous messaging system, leaving only a few to remain connected for humanitarian transactions.

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The Experts Were Wrong About the Middle East

October 19, 2018  •  The Atlantic

"I know what I'm going to do: I'm going to sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia."

That's what Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said last week, to the delight of Saudi Arabia's detractors on social media. The man who only one-week prior had been jeered by millions of Democrats for supporting Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation was seemingly redeemed among President Donald Trump's critics.

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Here's how to hit the Saudis — and still serve US interests

October 19, 2018  •  New York Post

Saudi-US ties are at their lowest since the 9/11 attacks. The Desert Kingdom is under fire from US lawmakers for the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul this month — but never walked out.

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) is threatening to "sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia." Other lawmakers have called for an investigation to determine whether human-rights sanctions, pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Act, should be slapped on certain Saudi actors.

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Unlikely Allies, Israel and Egypt Face Joint Challenge in Gaza

September 7, 2018  •  Real Clear Defense

The winds of war are blowing in Gaza. The last several months have been replete with rocket barrages, drones, incendiary balloons and kites (flaming or containing explosives) flying into Israeli airspace, and border breaches. Israel is working on solutions, but it is also looking to find help from an unlikely ally: Egypt.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met secretly earlier this month with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. A few days later, Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamal visited Israel as a guest of the Israeli National Security Advisor and probably also met Netanyahu. The conversations continue to focus on ways to tackle the crisis in Gaza – a territory that borders both countries.

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In Saudi-Canada standoff, Riyadh should stand down

August 10, 2018  •  New York Post

The last time Canada undertook an act of aggression was in 1999, when it declared war on the United States — in the comedic universe of "South Park," that is. But few were laughing Monday when Saudi Arabia shockingly cut ties with Canada and enacted severe punitive measures against Ottawa.

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Books by Jonathan Schanzer