Turkey is abandoning Iran
October 12, 2025Erdogan has surprised both his allies and his adversaries: by freezing the assets of key Iranian institutions, the Turkish president is sending clear signals to Washington. A spectacular U-turn from the man who, until recently, portrayed himself as Tehran’s defender against U.S. sanctions. The Return of the “Snapback”: Iran Under Sanctions Again After the International…
Israel’s Economic Resilience – Even Under Fire?
July 4, 2025The TA-35 index, which tracks the 35 largest companies listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, surpassed the 3,000-point mark for the first time on July 3, 2025—an increase of 17% since the beginning of the year. The broader TA-125 index has risen by 20.3% over the same period, outperforming major global benchmarks such as…
What Khomeini Told Me
June 22, 2025Khomeini was a gentle man. His gaze was always of indisputable kindness toward me—almost paternal, never intimidating. His face bore regular, harmonious, almost feminine features. I perceived a refined, elegant person, the opposite of obscurantism. In fact, he even smelled good, as if he had put on perfume. A mystic stood before me, a theologian…
Trump the Mastermind
June 21, 2025Russia managed to outplay Trump: no ceasefire. China managed to outplay Trump: no serious concessions on tariffs. Iran — whose ancestors invented the game of chess — will outplay Trump. The tactic is simple: Just resist, stand firm, ignore the threats … especially when only 23% of Americans can locate Iran on a map.
IRAN
June 13, 2025On May 15 and 27, I published these two analyses on Iran. I explained why the Iranian clergy will remain uncompromising on the issue of nuclear power. As a reminder, I met Imam Khomeini twice, during which he confided in me about his ambition to establish the hegemony of his Islamic Republic over the Middle…
Do you remember ?
June 4, 2025Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejects the recent U.S. nuclear offer, calling it a threat to the regime’s “national independence.” In a speech on the 36 anniversary of the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei today said: “Who are you to tell Tehran whether we should have a nuclear programme or not? The U.S. nuclear…
Iran: A Nuclear Heart and Soul
May 28, 2025Oil revenues account for 40 to 50% of Iran’s budget income and 80 to 90% of its export earnings. The country is once again facing an existential threat, as the U.S. President’s aggressive stance on tariffs has led to a roughly 20% drop in oil prices this year so far. This has significantly intensified the…
Ali Khamenei : A fragile legitimacy
May 15, 2025Preamble The analysis that follows, centered on the figure of Ali Khamenei, reveals a fundamental truth: Iran’s nuclear program transcends mere geopolitical strategy to root itself in a deeply personal and ideological quest. Marked by a deficit of religious legitimacy since his rise to power in 1989, Khamenei has made the nuclear program a symbol…
The perfect illustration of the human comedy. Of the human tragedy.
May 9, 2025In September 1975, a 12-year-old boy accompanies a Saudi prince—destined to become the King of Saudi Arabia—to Mecca, a place forbidden to non-Muslims. “After all these years, I’m still moved by what I saw there in terms of devotion and what I experienced in terms of human solidarity.” This spiritual moment contrasts sharply with…
Iran: A Suffering Population and Failing Rulers
February 15, 2025In Iran, food prices have skyrocketed by over 100% in a year, exemplified by the soaring cost of potatoes, which has sparked nationwide outrage. Last week, the price per kilo surged within days from 200,000 rials to 750,000, even triggering public discord within various branches of the Iranian government, with officials openly blaming each other.…
Iran: the Hidden Implications of Raïssi’s Death
May 20, 2024In Iran, the powers of the President are minor: he is like an Interior Minister who has no say over national security or ideological direction. Raïsi and Mojtaba Khamenei were openly competing to succeed the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba’s father. Raïssi’s death clarifies the situation and puts the Supreme Leader’s son in a…