On June 25, the daily El-Khabar reported: "It becomes evident every day that a series of preventive laws and measures which Bouteflika's group has been rushing to pass and implement are connected with arrangements for a secret project to be completed at the earliest time. Is it connected with succession to Abdelaziz Bouteflika and how would it be carried out? Would it be carried out with early elections after a declaration of the president's chronic disability? The acts of harassment and revenge allude to what is being planned which cannot wait until 2019. In his controversial interview with Algerie Patriotique, Maj-Gen Khaled Nezzar implicitly stated that the chief of general staff and deputy defence minister, Lt-Gen Ahmed Gaid Salah, wished to become president… (Read More)

On June 25, an editorial by Mohammad Safari in the conservative daily Siyasat-e Ruz said: "It may still be too early to say that the EU will soon collapse and the countries of the Green Continent will once again reclaim their independence, but signs of this collapse have already been observed. The EU is an organization that was formed in the European continent so as to create a "Eurotopia" and the aim behind this union was to establish an economic, military, cultural, and social power… (Read More)

On June 22, a commentary by Javid Ghorbanoghli, former Foreign Ministry director general of African affairs, via the website irdiplomacy.ir said: "Iran's Diplomacy: The present conditions of Saudi Arabia and its political approach are affected by three factors which need to be considered… (Read More)

On June 26, a commentary Seyyed Ali Bigdeli in the daily Arman-e Emruz said: "Since the end of World War II, no issue has been as important as Britain's exit from the EU and the consequences of this exit. Therefore, Britain's decision to leave the EU has shocked the world, and the implications of Brexit are so extensive and widespread that one cannot speak of the benefits and the shortcomings of this issue, at least under the present circumstances. This is because Europe is still confused in its analysis of why Britain has decided to leave the EU, and several countries such as the United States, France, and Germany are opposed to this decision. One of the things that can be predicted in the coming months as far as Britain and the impact of its decision on the EU is concerned, is the Conservatives' withdrawal, Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation and the coming to power of the Labour Party. This is because the Labour Party has always had better ties with the EU and it has differences of opinion with Barack Obama over Britain's fore! ign strategies. After David Cameron's resignation and the Labour Party's victory, the probability of a rapprochement with Iran and the resolution of the differences between Tehran and London will increase. In view of the fact that Britain will lose its European markets in the coming years, its need for new markets can be anticipated. Therefore, it has no choice but to establish closer ties with Iran, and in view of improved interaction between Iran and the international community after the nuclear agreement, and the EU's leadership by France and Germany, this will be a valuable opportunity for Iran. Tehran has close ties with France and Germany, which means that these two countries will bring Iran into the EU market… (Read More)

On June 21, an article by Seyyed Gholamhoseyn Hasantash in the reformist Shargh said: "After the JCPOA, one of the main solutions for overcoming the financial stringency and recession, in the present situation, is attracting foreign investment, especially in the sector of the productive economy. By attracting investment, I do not mean financing, only; to overcome this situation it is important that foreign investors buy the stocks of production units and agencies that have problems. On the path of attracting foreigner investors, if just like the past, the extraction and non-production sectors are considered, the unfortunate experiences of the past will repeat, and economic problems will persist. At the moment, thousands of industrial production agencies have been either closed or underactive. The majority of these service provider organizations and production units enjoy good infrastructure, maintenance, facilities and human resources. However, due to different reasons, they have problems and are not efficient enough. If foreign investors own parts of these agencies, funds will be released for the owners of the companies, and they will be able to overcome their liquidity problem. The foreigner partner will also be able to help with solving the problems and crises of the agency that have led to a decrease in efficiency. If the issue of the company is liquidity and working capital, the foreigner investor will be able to improve it; if the problem is the product market, it is possible that the product will be included in a foreign commercial brand, and its market develops. Other technical and managerial problems can be tackled with the help of an interna! tional partner… (Read More)

On June 27, the independent Lebanese En-Nashra news website carried the following exclusive report by Muhammad Alloush: “Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speeches always awaken political life in Lebanon, and many politicians await them to have something to talk about and move the still political water. But what was not taken into account was that the last speech he delivered on the 40-day commemoration of the death of leader in Hezbollah Badreddin might anger the Iranians, particularly those opposed to the policy of the Vali-e-faqih. Indeed, Sayyed Nasrallah revealed in his speech an important point related to Hezbollah’s financial structure, though he had tackled this topic in the past, announcing: “We openly say to the whole world that Hezbollah’s budget, livelihood, expenses, food, beverages, weapons and missiles come from the Islamic Republic in Iran… (Read More)

On June 27, the Okaz daily newspaper carried the following report: “Okaz learned from well-informed sources that the commander of Al-Quds force at the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qaseim Soleimani, has left the city of Fallujah along with four military commanders belonging to the terrorist Lebanese Hezbollah. They all headed to Baghdad in order to make preparations for the battle of the Mosul liberation. Okaz sources at the Iraqi ministry of defense also revealed that an expanded meeting was held in the presence of the Minister of Defense, Khaled al-Obeidi, and the Secretary General of the Badr Organization and the Commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Hadi al-Ameri, in order to discuss the details of the expected battle… (Read More)

On June 28, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Baghdad Raed al-Hamed: “An exclusive source for Al-Quds al-Arabi revealed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was planning on forming a new legion called “Al-Baqi’ legion,” linked directly to the office of Supreme Guide of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Ali Khamenei, and specialized in activities aiming to undermine the Arab Gulf States’ stability. The source added that no less than “3,000 Iraqi, Kuwaiti, Bahraini and Saudi recruits are currently being trained in special camps in the Mayssan governorate in southern Iraq, as well as in Kot, Diyala and elsewhere, under the supervision of Commander of the Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani. But Deputy Amer al-Khozai from the State of Law Coalition... denied those reports, dubbing them “mere fiction… (Read More)

On June 28, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following lead editorial: “A joint investigation by the Qatari Al-Jazeera channel and the American New York Times newspaper confirmed that a corrupt deal had led to the selling on the black market by Jordanian security elements, of weapons sent by Saudi Arabia and America to the Syrian opposition. And some of these stolen weapons were used in last November’s operation in Jordan, in which two American security contractors, a South African trainer and two Jordanians were killed at a police training facility funded by the US near Amman. Al-Jazeera and the New York Times also revealed that the Jordanian officers involved in the deal “secured unexpected gains” from this sale, and used the money they collected to purchase sports cars and other expensive items… (Read More)

On June 28, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its Amman Office Chief Bassam Bdareen: “... The official media targeting of the [Muslim Brotherhood] group and its party is ongoing, though the group announced the ending of its boycotting of the elections, and its official participation in them. This is happening amid ambiguity, surrounding the message that should be read by the Islamists. Speaking to Al-Quds al-Arabi, leader in the Islamic movement Sheikh Murad al-Adaileh commented on that by saying: “We do not specifically know what is required of us.” In the meantime, the MB room is not doing anything palpable or smart to face the media harassment, which has recently affected for the third time the Yarmouk television channel, which is very close to the group... The regime does not trust the MB leaders, while the current symbols of the group are saying they are unable to communicate with or trust the authorities, as it used to be the case in the past… (Read More)

On June 28, the Al-Akhbar daily carried the following piece by Jean Aziz: “Around two weeks ago, the official Lebanese authorities were chasing a major security target in the Bekaa. For months, the target had been placed under close surveillance including where he lived, how he moved, his phone calls and the nature of his terrorist activities. At one point in time, information was revealed about his implication in preparations for full explosions. The information included facts, names, and details. Thus, the matter was to be handled urgently… (Read More)

On June 28, the pro-March 14 privately-owned Al-Joumhouria newspaper carried the following report by Nasser Charara: “The terrorist operation staged in the town of El-Qaa was similar in form and execution to the one that was thwarted by army intelligence about a month ago, and which targeted a street full of clubbers in the capital Beirut. At the time, the investigations revealed that three terrorists had been assigned to carry it out, the first by randomly shooting at the clubs’ patrons before detonating his explosive belt, the second by detonating himself once the security forces arrived at the scene, and the third by holding hostages in a nearby church. Almost the same scenario was repeated in El-Qaa, where three suicide bombers consecutively detonated themselves, the first in front of a citizen’s house, and the two others at spaced intervals when the security forces were crossing a nearby road, while on their way to the scene of the first explosion… (Read More)

On June 28, the independent Az-Zaman newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Chief Editor Fateh Abdul Salam: “Ever since the British voted in favor of their country’s exit from the European Union, those who have certain projects or opinions have started speaking their minds, whether in a calculated or uncalculated way. In Iraq and Syria, it is easy to issue calls related to the projects of states that might emerge. But what we are sometimes hearing are questions surrounding the fate of the Arab League, and whether or not a state would benefit more from exiting it than from staying in it. The difference between the two entities, the first a European one represented by the Union, and the second an Arab one represented by the League, is as wide as the difference between the earth and the sky. Europe has a common market, which tends to the economies of its rich and poor members in total cohesion, without imposing the will of one state over the other… (Read More)

On June 26, the pro-Syrian regime Al-Watan daily carried the following piece by Mazen Bilal: “The statements of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Al-Quds force, reveal some of the visions regarding the regional relations and the possibility of sketching rapid developments especially in light of the project of normalization between Turkey and Israel. Although Soleimani’s statements pertain to the Kingdom of Bahrain, they are actually directed against an entire axis and they deal with the future of the Middle East rather than merely the “security of the Gulf.” For Iran, there are regional possibilities rather than a local crisis connected to the western wing of Iran. There is also a severe ongoing conflict in Syria facing the same axis in addition to a conflict in the concepts pertaining to the region’s identity in the world… (Read More)

On June 27, the pro-Future movement Al-Mustaqbal daily newspaper carried the following piece by Thuraya Chahine: “Widely informed diplomatic sources believe it is unlikely that the Syrian negotiations will be relaunched in Geneva after the holy month of Ramadan in light of a number of factions that indicate the difficulty of such an endeavor. The sources revealed that extensive American communication calls are being conducted with the Russians to launch the negotiations prior to the upcoming month of August especially since the settlement was supposed to be completed in August after establishing a transitional rule and working on coming up with a new constitution to pave the way for the elections. However, this is still being faced with major obstacles… (Read More)

On June 28, the independent Al-Khaleej daily newspaper carried the following lead editorial: “Lifting the siege off Gaza was the main headline brandished by Turkey for the negotiations with Israel aimed at normalizing the relations with the latter. The negotiations were concluded as Turkey and Israel had wanted, and the two agreed on proceeding with the relations and exchanging ambassadors after six years of “boycotting” following the Marmara ship incident where ten Turkish citizens were killed. Nevertheless, the siege remained and Gaza is still waiting for someone to lift the siege… (Read More)

On June 27, Abdul Bari Atwan wrote the following piece in the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper: “Finally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented a written apology to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, through a letter where he also presented his sincere condolences to the family of the Russian pilot. He also pledged to do everything in his power to restore the friendly relations between the two countries. Erdogan also reached an agreement for a full normalization of the relations with the Israeli occupation state without meeting the demand of lifting the siege off the Gaza territory knowing that he had clung to this request for the past six years… (Read More)