Despite having completed three phases of economic relief, the US government is eager to pass another stimulus package. However, Republicans in the Senate are at odds with President Donald Trump and Democrats who desire over $2 trillion in bailout money....
The United States has levied new sanctions on Iran. Thursday’s move now excludes eighteen Iranian banks from the international system. These Iranian banks that had thus far evaded the majority of re-imposed US sanctions were the specific target of the...
News of Turkey’s plans to conduct comprehensive tests of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system has added to the country’s economic pains and is helping send the Turkish currency to a record low against the US dollar. Washington Warns Turkey...
In a surprise move by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s government has imposed a total ban on importing goods and a freeze on bilateral trade exchanges with Turkey. Although the real reason behind this Saudi step is totally clear, it also reflects...
September 22, 2020 should go down as a landmark date not only for the energy sector in the Eastern Mediterranean but also for the fragile political landscape of the whole region. Six countries – Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, and...
The German government has openly been contemplating an end to Nord Stream 2 for the first time since its construction. Rightfully so. Alternatives to the pipeline already exist. Most importantly, however, Berlin would finally penalize Russia efficiently. The Nord Stream...
A recent report in Wall Street Journal notes that Venezuela is entering a post-oil era, and now produces only 10% of what it did two decades ago. From one of the original co-founders of OPEC to a sanctions-ravaged nation that’s...
Six years after the implementation of the Ukraine-related sanctions regime it is time to recognize its failure: it didn’t achieve any of its economic and political goals; instead, it has been making Russia stronger and gave impetus to the transition...
Despite major foreign players in the telecommunications sector making large investments in Sub-Saharan Africa, this market populated by 1.1 billion inhabitants remains a minefield. As regulatory inconsistencies including political interference from government functionaries linger on as intractable bogeymen, creating a...
A recent discovery of significant natural gas reserves within the Turkish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Black Sea was the main topic of Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s speech on August 21. During a televised press conference from the Presidential...