Daily News Brief

February 14, 2023

Top of the Agenda

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi began a three-day state visit (Al Jazeera) to Beijing today, accompanied by six cabinet members, the governor of Iran’s central bank, and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator. The presence of the latter suggests reviving the 2015 nuclear deal could be one focus of the visit. Raisi’s trip to China, the first by an Iranian president in twenty years, aims to operationalize a twenty-five-year cooperation pact signed in 2021, an Iranian official said Sunday. 

Iran remains beset by Western sanctions for violating the nuclear deal, which Raisi indirectly criticized (Reuters) in an editorial published in Chinese state media this week. Despite the sanctions, China is Iran’s largest trade partner, though it invested less in Iran during the first year of Raisi’s presidency than did Afghanistan and Turkey, Al Jazeera reported. 

Analysis

“As it reopens its economy after three years of lockdowns, China is working to rebuild relationships, host foreign leaders from Asia and Europe, make business deals, and complicate any putative American effort to forge a counter-China coalition,” write the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Evan A. Feigenbaum and Johns Hopkins University’s Adam Szubin for Foreign Affairs. 

“Iran is increasingly reliant on China to salvage an economy crippled by U.S. sanctions, but also fears Beijing’s growing ties with Saudi Arabia could leave it further isolated,” the Wall Street Journal’s Benoit Faucon, Austin Ramzy, and Raffaele Huang write.

Pacific Rim

Cyclone Gabrielle has caused (Radio New Zealand) flooding, structural damage, and evacuations across the country.

South and Central Asia

Tax authorities raided the broadcaster’s Delhi and Mumbai offices (WaPo) and seized journalists’ phones in an operation that came weeks after the BBC aired a documentary examining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the deadly 2002 riots in Gujarat State. A spokesperson for Modi’s party said the BBC’s work has been “tainted with its hatred of India.” 

Pakistan: To reduce power generation costs, the country plans to quadruple coal-fired power (Reuters) in the coming years rather than build new gas-fired plants, its energy minister said.

This In Brief looks at Pakistan’s power crisis.

Middle East and North Africa

The United Nations could previously use only one crossing (BBC) into opposition-held areas to reach survivors of last week’s earthquake, which has killed nearly forty thousand people in Syria and Turkey. 

CFR’s Henri J. Barkey assesses the earthquake’s impact on regional politics.

Tunisia: Police detained two prominent critics (Reuters) of President Kais Saied, as well as the director of a radio station that has broadcast criticism of the leader.

Sub-Saharan Africa

It is the country’s first outbreak (WHO) of the hemorrhagic fever, which comes from the same family of viruses as Ebola.

Nigeria: A government-sponsored body tasked with promoting stability ahead of Nigeria’s February 25 general elections said that election-related violence is on the rise (VOA) after two attacks at rallies over the weekend. In one, a gunman killed three police officers. 

Europe

In Lombardy, the right-wing Brothers of Italy party defeated (Politico) the conservative League party, its coalition partner. In Lazio, home to Rome, it pushed the left out of power.

For Foreign Affairs, Justin Casey and Daniel Nexon discuss the Brothers of Italy’s ties to the transnational right.

Brussels: The New York Times is suing the European Commission over its failure to release text messages between its leadership and Pfizer’s CEO that could reveal details of the European Union’s COVID-19 vaccine purchases, Politico reported. 

Americas

It is the second round of talks (AP) between President Gustavo Petro’s government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group. A government spokesperson said the round aimed to produce “permanent solutions,” while an ELN negotiator said the rebel group sought a temporary cease-fire and changes to anti-drug policy.

Paraguay/UAE: Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez participated in a ceremony opening Paraguay’s embassy (MercoPress) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a speech, Paraguay’s foreign minister expressed Asunción’s desire to strengthen bilateral ties and expand its presence in the Middle East.

United States

The amount of toxic chemicals aboard a train that derailed in Ohio on February 3 is more extensive (ABC) than originally reported, according to data from Norfolk Southern Railroad. Since an evacuation order was lifted last Wednesday, residents of the town where the train derailed have reported feeling burning sensations (NPR) in their eyes. 

Council on Foreign Relations

58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065

1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006

Shop the CFR Store

Forward This Email

Manage Your Email Preferences