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Mardo Soghom
Articles by this Author
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Internal Paralysis Raises Risks for Trump’s Negotiations
Military Officials May Believe the Civilian Governing Structure Is Too Fragmented and Indecisive to Manage the Country
May 28, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Tehran Uses ‘Hybrid War’ Narrative to Justify Repression and Intimidate Neighbors
Iran’s Broader Objective Appears to Be the Gradual Decoupling of Arab Oil Producers of the Persian Gulf from the U.S. Security Umbrella
May 27, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Critics Portray Trump’s Hormuz Deal as Strategic Retreat by Washington
Activists Warn That Signing the Agreement Could Mean Many Iranians Will Accuse Trump of Abandoning the Iranian People
May 24, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Did the U.S. and Israel Plan to Install Ahmadinejad? The Conspiracy Doesn’t Pass the Smell Test
Factions Within Tehran’s Power Structure May Have an Interest in Encouraging Such Conspiracy Theories
May 21, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iranian Officials Mock Trump’s Iran Reversal While Warning of Deception
Tehran Claims Trump Is in a No-Win Situation, Zigzagging Between Negotiations and Threats of Renewed Military Action
May 19, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Tehran Seeks Diplomatic Legitimacy While Maintaining Grip on Hormuz
The Regime Presents Even Symbolic Contacts with Major Western Leaders as Evidence That Powerful Countries Are Appealing to It
May 13, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iranian Media Reinforce Narrative of Mojtaba Khamenei’s Leadership
The Apparent Objective Is to Project Continuity, Control, and Leadership at the Top of Iran’s Patronage-Heavy System
May 10, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Tehran Exploits Trump’s Reversal While Hiding Questions Over Mojtaba Khamenei
Even the Israeli Government Is Largely Silent, Avoiding Direct Threats Against Tehran and Refraining from Contradicting the U.S.
May 7, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Says U.S. Is Cornered Despite Its Own Economic Strain
Tehran Claims to Have Issued an Ultimatum and Suggests Washington Has Effectively Accepted Its Conditions for Negotiations
May 3, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Khamenei Message Frames Hormuz Control as Iran’s Strategic Leverage
The Strait’s Closure Disrupts the Flow of More than 20 Percent of the World’s Oil and Gas Supplies
April 30, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Rival Power Centers Surface in Iran as Post-Khamenei Order Faces Strain
The Use of Media Criticism and Symbolic Acts like Graffiti Suggests That Internal Discipline Is Loosening at the Margins
April 28, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Feels Squeeze as Blockade, Failed Talks Take Toll
Every Month, Iran Needs to Import Around $1.3 Billion of Essential Commodities
April 26, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Leadership Claims Unity While Revolutionary Guard Controls the State
Unless a Meaningful Rift Emerges Within the Guard Itself, Claims of Significant Internal Leadership Divisions Are Overstated
April 25, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Tehran Tests Limits After Ceasefire, Threatens Shipping and Internet Routes
Some Observers Say Trump’s Extended Ceasefire Reflects a Fragile Stalemate in Which neither Side Wants to Resume War nor Compromise
April 22, 2026
·
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Aiming for More Concessions Before Returning to Talks
Faces Pressures from the Naval Blockade, Which Affects Its Imports of Essential Goods and Export of Oil
April 21, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Warns on Hormuz as Ghalibaf Says Major Gaps Remain
Iran’s Hardliners Have Accused the Negotiating Team of Treason for Reportedly Agreeing to Some U.S. Demands
April 19, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate Despite Trump’s Upbeat Tone
Either Trump Made Optimistic Assumptions or He Embarrassed Tehran by Claiming What Essentially Amounted to an Iranian Surrender
April 18, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Gambles That the United States Won’t Resume Hostilities
The Trump Administration’s Optimism About a ‘New Regime’ in Tehran Might Be a Rushed Judgment
April 15, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Trump’s Blockade Would Hit Iran’s Economy and Military Recovery
The Blockage Would Cut Roughly $280 Million a Day in Iran’s Export Revenues and Disrupt Another $160 Million in Imports
April 13, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Oversized Delegation in Pakistan Raises Questions
The Delegation Itself Has Become a Visible Expression of Internal Fragmentation
April 11, 2026
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Mardo Soghom
