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Amin Saikal

Amin Saikal

Brisbane Times

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The Iran deal exposes the futility of Trump’s war

The Iran deal exposes the futility of Trump’s war

A fragile US-Iran agreement may end a war that failed to topple Tehran or destroy its nuclear capacity, leaving Iran with greater regional leverage,...

16.06.2026 10

Pearls and Irritations

Amin Saikal

The war may end but what did the US, Israel achieve?

The war may end but what did the US, Israel achieve?

After weeks of on-again, off-again negotiations, US President Donald Trump finally seems to have secured an agreement from the Iranian regime to end...

16.06.2026 10

The New Daily

Amin Saikal

A peace deal may bring an end to the Iran war, but what did the US and Israel truly achieve?

A peace deal may bring an end to the Iran war, but what did the US and Israel truly achieve?

The deal will leave Iran in a stronger position than before the war, the US with far less leverage in the region, and Israel in the lurch.

15.06.2026 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Iran dragged out the 1979 hostage crisis to humiliate the US. It may try to do the same to Trump now

Iran dragged out the 1979 hostage crisis to humiliate the US. It may try to do the same to Trump now

The regime was built for resilience. The US president will struggle to get an acceptable deal unless he’s willing to compromise.

09.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Iran dragged out the 1979 hostage crisis to humiliate the US. It could be doing the same to Trump now

Iran dragged out the 1979 hostage crisis to humiliate the US. It could be doing the same to Trump now

The regime was built for resilience. The US president will struggle to get an acceptable deal unless he’s willing to compromise.

09.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

‘No fear of roaring lions’: Iran has a long history of standing firm against outside aggressors

At every difficult moment in their long history, the Persian people have fought to preserve what is theirs. The Trump administration may have...

06.05.2026 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Ceasefire presses pause on Iran war but can peace last?

President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a Pakistani proposal for a two-week ceasefire in the war with Iran brings a sigh of relief to the...

09.04.2026 30

The New Daily

Amin Saikal

The US‑Israel ceasefire with Iran presses pause on a costly war, but can peace last?

The two-week agreement, brokered by Pakistan, temporarily halts violence and reopens the Strait of Hormuz – but the path to peace remains complicated.

08.04.2026 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Trump underestimated Iran’s resilience. Now there is only one way out of the war

Iran’s regime was structured to withstand attacks from more powerful foes. It’s also resolved to deny the US and Israel a victory at all costs.

01.04.2026 30

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

As the war drags on, what does victory look like for the US, Israel and Iran?

There are two possible ways the fighting might end.

17.03.2026 40

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Iran’s regime won’t just fall over. This war is likely to be long and bloody

Khamenei was a polarising political and spiritual leader opposed by many Iranians, yet was also revered by some, who have called for revenge.

04.03.2026 30

Brisbane Times

Amin Saikal

Iran’s regime won’t just fall over. This war is likely to be long and bloody

Khamenei was a polarising political and spiritual leader opposed by many Iranians, yet was also revered by some, who have called for revenge.

04.03.2026 30

The Age

Amin Saikal

Iran’s regime won’t just fall over. This war is likely to be long and bloody

Khamenei was a polarising political and spiritual leader opposed by many Iranians, yet was also revered by some, who have called for revenge.

04.03.2026 30

WA Today

Amin Saikal

Iran’s regime won’t just fall over. This war is likely to be long and bloody

Khamenei was a polarising political and spiritual leader opposed by many Iranians, yet was also revered by some, who have called for revenge.

04.03.2026 30

The Sydney Morning Herald

Amin Saikal

Trump and Netanyahu want regime change, but Iran’s regime was built for survival. A long war is now likely

The US–Israel strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader have pushed the Middle East into open war. But regime change in Tehran is far from assured...

02.03.2026 30

Pearls and Irritations

Amin Saikal

Trump and Netanyahu want regime change, but Iran’s regime was built for survival. A long war is now likely

A public uprising might not be enough to topple a deeply entrenched political system backed by armed paramilitary groups.

01.03.2026 50

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Israel is accelerating its creeping annexation of the West Bank. Can Donald Trump stop it?

Israel’s actions are forcing Palestinians out of their lands at an unprecedented rate.

18.02.2026 60

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

With Iran weakened, Trump’s end goal may now be regime change. It’s an incredibly risky gamble

Iran’s theocratic leaders are prepared to fight to the end, making regime change a very costly and destabilising exercise for the US.

29.01.2026 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Should Australia join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’?

22.01.2026 50

The New Daily

Amin Saikal

Should Australia join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’? Here are 5 key points to consider

There is not just much information available on the proposed board. But the obstacles it faces in building and maintaining peace in Gaza are huge.

20.01.2026 30

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Facing protests and new threats from Trump, is the Iranian regime on its last legs?

Iran’s leaders are more vulnerable than ever. Yet, they still have many tools of repression at their disposal.

06.01.2026 40

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

With a deadline looming, Lebanon is under pressure to disarm Hezbollah or risk another war

With Hezbollah refusing to disarm, there is no easy way out of an explosive situation.

09.12.2025 10

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

One is a former al-Qaeda leader, the other a US mayor. Guess which was invited to the White House

Trump’s world order: praising Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as an ‘attractive guy’, while disparaging the first Muslim mayor of New York as a...

12.11.2025 30

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

The leader most capable of governing a future Palestinian state is languishing in an Israeli jail

30.10.2025 30

Pearls and Irritations

Amin Saikal

The leader most capable of governing a future Palestinian state is languishing in an Israeli jail

Marwan Barghouti, jailed since 2002, remains the most popular Palestinian leader in polling and is viewed as the one most capable of uniting all...

27.10.2025 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban avoid a deeper war for now, but how long can the peace hold?

Pakistan cannot blame anyone but itself for the challenges it now faces: it nurtured and supported the Afghan Taliban for decades.

20.10.2025 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Israel has lost the support of the American people. It’s danger time for Netanyahu

Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan and Netanyahu’s public embrace of it has come against the backdrop of unprecedented global condemnation and...

07.10.2025 30

WA Today

Amin Saikal

Israel has lost the support of the American people. It’s danger time for Netanyahu

Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan and Netanyahu’s public embrace of it has come against the backdrop of unprecedented global condemnation and...

07.10.2025 30

The Sydney Morning Herald

Amin Saikal

Israel has lost the support of the American people. It’s danger time for Netanyahu

Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan and Netanyahu’s public embrace of it has come against the backdrop of unprecedented global condemnation and...

07.10.2025 30

The Age

Amin Saikal

Israel has lost the support of the American people. It’s danger time for Netanyahu

Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan and Netanyahu’s public embrace of it has come against the backdrop of unprecedented global condemnation and...

07.10.2025 30

Brisbane Times

Amin Saikal

Is Benjamin Netanyahu on a mission to realise a Greater Israel?

The Israeli leader is now firmly in position to possibly annex both the West Bank and Gaza.

22.09.2025 40

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Australia’s presence in Iran was a lifeline for the Western world. Now, that era is over

This week’s decision not only conveys a strong message of disapproval, and gives comfort to opponents of the Iranian regime. It also raises...

27.08.2025 30

WA Today

Amin Saikal

Australia’s presence in Iran was a lifeline for the Western world. Now, that era is over

This week’s decision not only conveys a strong message of disapproval, and gives comfort to opponents of the Iranian regime. It also raises...

27.08.2025 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

Amin Saikal

Australia’s presence in Iran was a lifeline for the Western world. Now, that era is over

This week’s decision not only conveys a strong message of disapproval, and gives comfort to opponents of the Iranian regime. It also raises...

27.08.2025 30

The Age

Amin Saikal

Australia’s presence in Iran was a lifeline for the Western world. Now, that era is over

This week’s decision not only conveys a strong message of disapproval, and gives comfort to opponents of the Iranian regime. It also raises...

27.08.2025 20

Brisbane Times

Amin Saikal

Here are 4 ways Western countries can actually pressure Israel

20.08.2025 30

The Examiner

Amin Saikal

How can Western countries back up Palestine recognition with action? Here are 4 ways to pressure Israel

Western countries agree a two-state solution is the way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But are they willing to take action to make it...

20.08.2025 30

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Here are 4 ways Western countries can actually pressure Israel

20.08.2025 30

Canberra Times

Amin Saikal

As Netanyahu moves toward full takeover of Gaza, Israel faces a crisis of international credibility

08.08.2025 30

Pearls and Irritations

Amin Saikal

As Netanyahu moves toward full takeover of Gaza, Israel faces a crisis of international credibility

As global opinion turns against Israel and its traditional Western allies distance themselves, the country finds itself increasingly isolated.

08.08.2025 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

The Muslim world has been strong on rhetoric, short on action over Gaza and Afghanistan

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is meant to be the ‘collective voice’ of the Muslim world. Yet it has been toothless on the most important...

31.07.2025 20

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Netanyahu went all in on Trump. His grave miscalculation will echo for years to come

In cosying up to a mercurial American president, Israel’s vulnerability and utter dependence on the US has been exposed to the world – and Iran.

30.06.2025 30

WA Today

Amin Saikal

Netanyahu went all in on Trump. His grave miscalculation will echo for years to come

In cosying up to a mercurial American president, Israel’s vulnerability and utter dependence on the US has been exposed to the world – and Iran.

30.06.2025 30

The Sydney Morning Herald

Amin Saikal

Netanyahu went all in on Trump. His grave miscalculation will echo for years to come

In cosying up to a mercurial American president, Israel’s vulnerability and utter dependence on the US has been exposed to the world – and Iran.

30.06.2025 30

The Age

Amin Saikal

Netanyahu went all in on Trump. His grave miscalculation will echo for years to come

In cosying up to a mercurial American president, Israel’s vulnerability and utter dependence on the US has been exposed to the world – and Iran.

30.06.2025 30

Brisbane Times

Amin Saikal

Iran does not have nuclear weapons. We can’t afford to repeat the Iraq War lie

Netanyahu continues to insist that Iran is on course to produce nuclear weapons within weeks. Meanwhile, he omits that Israel itself has its own...

19.06.2025 20

WA Today

Amin Saikal

Iran does not have nuclear weapons. We can’t afford to repeat the Iraq War lie

Netanyahu continues to insist that Iran is on course to produce nuclear weapons within weeks. Meanwhile, he omits that Israel itself has its own...

19.06.2025 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

Amin Saikal

Iran does not have nuclear weapons. We can’t afford to repeat the Iraq War lie

Netanyahu continues to insist that Iran is on course to produce nuclear weapons within weeks. Meanwhile, he omits that Israel itself has its own...

19.06.2025 30

The Age

Amin Saikal

Iran does not have nuclear weapons. We can’t afford to repeat the Iraq War lie

Netanyahu continues to insist that Iran is on course to produce nuclear weapons within weeks. Meanwhile, he omits that Israel itself has its own...

19.06.2025 20

Brisbane Times

Amin Saikal

Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future is so uncertain

Iran is highly fragmented and doesn’t have a long tradition of democracy or a unified opposition movement. So what happens if the supreme leader is...

18.06.2025 40

The Conversation

Amin Saikal