Topic: Persian Gulf

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Blast-off: 6 recent missile advances

Missiles have been prominent in the news with India’s successful test, North Korea’s failed one, and much talk of missile defense systems in Europe and the Persian Gulf. Here are six recent noteworthy missile-technology advances.
Six reasons to keep America as No. 1 superpower

Many around the world say American decline would preserve global stability through a better balance of power. They’re wrong, says Steve Yetiv, a political science professor at Old Dominion University. It’s not that other countries or international institutions can’t play vital roles. They do. But they can't yet do what Washington does around the world, Yetiv says. Here he gives six examples.
5 countries with the longest ongoing US sanctions

Sanctions are once again leading the news with trade embargoes tightening around Iran and debates over whether to loosen US restrictions on Cuba and Myanmar.
Getting the Strait of Hormuz straight: an FAQ

Iran has caused a stir with its threat this week to close down the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions were imposed on Iranian oil exports. Here’s why this small body of water generates so much world attention.
Iran nuclear program: 5 key sites

Iran’s nuclear program is the subject of constant scrutiny by the international community. Here are five of Iran's most important nuclear sites.

All Content

US intervention unlikely in Syria

The administration expelled Syrian diplomats after last weekend's massacre, but ruled out military action.
Keep Calm
Europe launches airstrikes on Somalia to uproot pirate base

This is the first time the European-led naval expedition, Operation Atalanta, has attacked a pirate base on Somali territory.
Biden hammers Romney on jobs, foreign policy

The Vice President hit the GOP nominee hard in a campaign speech, calling him inexperienced in foreign policy.
Focus
Bahrain F1 race: How a Sunni backlash kept an uprising at bay

The Formula One race in Bahrain today has put the spotlight back on an uprising here that has faltered due to sectarian distrust.
Blast-off: 6 recent missile advances

Missiles have been prominent in the news with India’s successful test, North Korea’s failed one, and much talk of missile defense systems in Europe and the Persian Gulf. Here are six recent noteworthy missile-technology advances.
Pressure mounts on Bahrain as hunger striker reaches 62nd day (+video)

Bahrain has been trumpeting its return to normalcy ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix that begins April 20. But now there is increasing pressure to cancel the car race.
Keep Calm
Good Reads: Is the US actually in decline, or just taking a breather?

A roundup of some of the week's most insightful articles from around the Internet. 
Backchannels
Why Israel is even less likely to strike Iran now

Obama appears to be hemming in Israel at every turn. Case in point: A report in which unnamed US officials allege that Israel has obtained access to bases in Azerbaijan, on Iran's border.
Robert Reich
Gas prices rising: Why GOP won't address real cause

Gas prices are rising not because of increased demand but because Wall Street is betting on higher gas prices.
Six reasons to keep America as No. 1 superpower

Many around the world say American decline would preserve global stability through a better balance of power. They’re wrong, says Steve Yetiv, a political science professor at Old Dominion University. It’s not that other countries or international institutions can’t play vital roles. They do. But they can't yet do what Washington does around the world, Yetiv says. Here he gives six examples.
In event of an Iran-Israel showdown, what would US military do?

Iran was top of the agenda Monday at the Obama-Netanyahu meeting. A recent war game gave US military officials a sense of the threat exposure from operating in a narrow waterway such as the Strait of Hormuz, off Iran's coast.
Terrorism & Security
Reports: Netanyahu will push Obama hard on Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reportedly ratchet up the pressure when he meets with President Obama in Washington next week.
Putin: US seeking 'absolute invulnerability'

In a piece published yesterday, a few days ahead of elections, presidential candidate Vladimir Putin took a tough stance on several foreign policy issues that will put Russia at odds with the US.
Cover Story
What would happen if Iran had the bomb? (+video)

Even as Tehran signals an interest in nuclear talks, many experts have already envisioned what the world would look like if the country got nuclear weapons. It wouldn't be as dire as many fear, but it would unleash new uncertainties - and perhaps a regional arms race.
Unrest in US ally Bahrain takes a more violent turn

Shiite protesters in Bahrain have begun using Molotov cocktails, while Sunni hard-liners also are urging more extreme measures.
USS Abraham Lincoln returns to Persian Gulf shadowed by Iranian boats

USS Abraham Lincoln passed through the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday with Iranian gunboats, an Iranian drone, and helicopter following. Iran had threatened to close the strait after Western sanctions were tightened last month.
Interview: Former US spy chief sees shift toward Asia

In an interview, Admiral Dennis C. Blair - the former director of national intelligence - says the US needs to back moderate Islamic societies, and urges Israel to keep pace with a changing Middle East.
Ex-CIA spy: Iran's miscalculation over war

Leading Iranians are criticizing the regime, including its war-like provocation and the foreign sanctions aimed at its nuclear program. One Revolutionary Guard commander calls Iran's war threats 'the same stupidity' and miscalculation that preceded the Iran-Iraq war.
How Iran could beat up on America's superior military

America's defense budget is roughly 90 times bigger than Iran's. But Iran has a well-honed strategy of asymmetric warfare.
5 countries with the longest ongoing US sanctions

Sanctions are once again leading the news with trade embargoes tightening around Iran and debates over whether to loosen US restrictions on Cuba and Myanmar.
Iran angry over EU unity on oil embargo

Iran's currency nosedived today as the EU approved an oil embargo to take effect in July. The rial has lost half its value since October.
Yemen's Saleh leaves for US, says he'll be back

President Ali Abdullah Saleh left Yemen Sunday talking of both handing over power and returning before presidential elections next month.
Keystone XL oil pipeline ensnared in political gamesmanship

Republicans tried to force Obama's hand on the permit to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and now he's forced theirs. The fight may not be over, signaling that energy will be a 2012 campaign issue.
Europeans fear Iran oil embargo will wreck economy

With a proposed embargo on Iranian oil, the European Union and the US could suffer from rising oil prices while Iran simply finds new buyers.
Humanitarian acts as antidotes to war

Disasters can cause even adversarial nations to enjoy heart-to-heart moments of compassion. Russia delivers emergency fuel to an Alaskan town; the US Navy rescued Iranian fishermen.