Open Dialogue Research Journal
Pre-emptive attacks in international law are rarely justified. The threat must evince itself through an obvious intent to inflict injury, evidence preparations that show the threat to be what Michael Walzer calls a “supreme emergency”, and arise in a situation where risk of defeat would be dramatically increased if force […]
Donald Trump came to power with grand promises of reshaping U.S. foreign policy. He claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day, reach a nuclear deal with Iran within a week, and resolve the Palestinian issue by relocating Gazans and transforming the region into a real estate paradise. […]
We don’t understand the negotiations in Ukraine and the Middle East because we don’t understand the difference between wars and civil conflicts. We approach peacemaking as if it were a matter of dividing up common property during a divorce, after a few years of living together. But wars are of […]
The situation remains very combustible and could easily explode at the slightest spark. Russia and the US rarely agree on much, but their top diplomats just sounded the alarm about Syria, which should convince objective observers that there’s credence to their warnings. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that “The situation in the […]
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei described Trump’s visit as a “performance to project strength”, condemning Washington’s pressuring of Iran under the guise of diplomacy. On May 16, 2025, Donald Trump concluded his three-day tour of the Persian Gulf. Global headlines focused on the staggering numbers: over USD 140 billion in […]
After patiently proposing to Benjamin Netanyahu that he negotiate with the Palestinian resistance and meeting only a stubborn determination to massacre the Palestinians, annex Gaza, southern Lebanon and Syria, and launch a war against Iran, the Trump administration has changed gears. It is now clear to them, as it has […]
That would be a nightmare scenario from the perspective of Israeli interests. A report circulated last week alleging that Trump cut off all direct contact with Bibi after feeling manipulated by him. For as sensational as it sounds, the larger context suggests that it might be true. For starters, there was bad […]
Introduction Over the past few years, the strategic landscape of Eurasia has undergone a quiet but consequential shift. Iran and Russia—two countries long encumbered by Western sanctions, geopolitical isolation, and ideological marginalization—have moved decisively toward a comprehensive partnership that transcends transactional convenience. From energy deals and defense cooperation to financial […]
The general public is completely unaware of the real stakes in the negotiations between Washington and Tehran. This article presents a situation in which lies have been piling up over three decades, making any progress particularly difficult. Contrary to popular belief, the nuclear issue in Iran is not whether Tehran […]
Despite repeated rounds of negotiations, hopes for a successful agreement between Iran and the United States remain dim. From Tehran’s perspective, the core obstacle is not technical—it is epistemological. The enduring standoff reflects a civilizational dissonance: a secular liberal internationalism on one side, and a theologically-rooted sovereignty on the other—each with […]
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