Middle Orient

Vote for political bureau set to take place early this year, with Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashaal seen as top contenders to lead terror group under pressure to disarm Hamas is preparing to hold internal elections to rebuild its leadership, decimated by Israel during the war in Gaza, which it …

The spiritual leader of the Druze Unitarian community in Suwayda, Hikmat al-Hijri, called for full independence, without ruling out passing through a transitional phase of self rule under the supervision of an external guarantor, proposing Israel for this role as “the most suitable party,” according to his remarks. Al-Hijri stressed …

Negotiations between the government and the SDF over integrating the latter’s members into the national army or reaching specific security arrangements yielded no tangible results, reigniting tensions in Aleppo [ALEPPO] The Syrian government forces announced Saturday the suspension of their military operations in the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood of Aleppo in …

“We will never allow terrorist agents and terrorist groups, especially those directed from abroad and particularly by Israel, to continue their actions,” Iranian FM Araghchi told Al Jazeera. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hit out at the European Union’s parliment ban on Iranian diplomats in a post on X/Twitter on …

A renewal of relations between France and Turkey is vital to strengthen European strategic autonomy. To make this détente a reality, Paris and Ankara should move beyond personal friction and jointly engage with questions of Black Sea security. Europe’s push for greater strategic cohesion and autonomy in an uncertain world …

Years ago, I was negotiating with Iranian officials for the release of American hostages held in Tehran. The talks were not going well. At one point, my Iranian counterpart asked why Iran should ever make a deal with a country that constantly changes its government — in other words, a …

The Iranian regime appears to be at its weakest point in its nearly half century in power. For the past two weeks, Iranians throughout the country have taken to the streets in protest over Iran’s deepening economic crises, stirring up memories of the Mahsa Amini protests of 2022-2023 and the …

Unlike any other time in modern history, a US president is encouraging protestors in a foreign country to “take over the institutions” in Iran, saying that “help is on its way”—potentially with the backing and support of Israel—while offering no clear policy toward either the fate of the country’s theocratic …

Hundreds of displaced families are returning to—and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters are withdrawing from—the city of Aleppo in northern Syria, after a US-mediated cease-fire there ended a week of violent clashes with government forces. Damascus has now taken control of the city, after a week that highlighted foundational …

Since December 28, protests have erupted across all thirty-one of Iran’s provinces, as the Iranian people have once again demonstrated their courage and desire for change from the regime. The demonstrations were initially sparked by currency devaluation and economic hardship, but quickly morphed into a broader cause calling for systemic …