Middle Orient

Iran: When Ayatollahs Lampoon the Clergy

“Look at our times a handful of imposter clericsHaving no notion of reason and scienceHaving no notion of what man is aboutDesperate like donkeys in search of fodderAll they care about is eating and fornicatingHave cast aside notions of shame and honorThey seek nothing but loot and plunderAlien they are …

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1,200 Iraqis unwilling to leave al-Hol camp

The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement has revealed that around 3,000 Iraqi nationals remain in al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, noting that nearly half are unwilling to return. Deputy Minister Karim al-Nouri told Rudaw Network, which is close to the Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, on Sunday, February 22, that …

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Erdogan’s Sunni Noose: Turkey’s Bid to Encircle Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched an ambitious diplomatic offensive aimed at unifying the Sunni world under Ankara’s leadership. The objective is not merely reconciliation with former rivals. It is the construction of a Sunni diplomatic and strategic “wall,” or “noose,” around Israel, replacing the Iranian “Shi’ite crescent” with …

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U.S. and Israel Diverge on Key Regional Files

Differences between Israeli and U.S. leaders on key issues in the Middle East, particularly strategy toward Iran, might determine whether the region calms or flares into a broader conflagration. Trump insists that Israel support U.S. diplomacy with Tehran, backed by the threat of force, before the U.S. or Israel further …

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