On Friday, Syrian state-run news SANA reported that the Israelis conducted an airstrike in the suburbs outside of Aleppo in southern Syria. The target was the town of al-Safirah where the Syrians once had a major missile production facility. SANA quoted an unnamed military source who said that “at 1:30 …
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How Hamas Plans to Destroy Lebanon
During Haniyeh’s tour of Ain al-Hilweh, he said that the Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip “possesses missiles to strike Tel Aviv and beyond Tel Aviv.” Arab political analysts…. also believe that Iran is preparing to use its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, to target Arab countries that establish relations with …
Read More »Analysts See Israel-Bahrain Peace Deal as Protection Against Iran
Israelis are delighted the government has reached another peace deal with an Arab country, this time Bahrain, following last month’s agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Analysts say the Gulf states see the deals as a way to discourage potential attacks from Iran. But Palestinians are furious at the deal, …
Read More »Turkey's Oruc Reis research vessel returns to near southern port: Ship tracker shows
Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis, which has been at the heart of a simmering standoff between Greece and Turkey over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, has returned to a port in southern Turkey, a ship tracker shows.
Read More »Greece to Buy Warplanes, Battleships to Boost Defenses against Turkey
With tensions between NATO allies Greece and Turkey rising, Greece has announced plans to purchase a grab bag of new warplanes, frigates, helicopters and weapons systems. Greece’s defense shopping spree comes amid a new diplomatic scramble with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visiting Cyprus to ease an energy standoff …
Read More »Zawahiri asserts al Qaeda’s independence in new message
On the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 hijackings, Al Qaeda has released a lengthy screed from Ayman al Zawahiri. In last year’s anniversary message, Zawahiri attempted to rebuke Islamic critics of al Qaeda’s deadliest day. This year, Zawahiri’s ire is directed at another target: Al Jazeera. In particular, the al …
Read More »Anti-Turkey alliance emerging in the Arab World
The intended target of the UAE-Israel alliance is not Iran but Turkey, whose regional clout poses a threat to Gulf rulers, says David Hearst, the editor in chief of Middle East Eye.
Read More »Pakistan needs a new policy for the Middle East to tackle the new realities
The rapidly shifting geopolitical realities, especially the current circumstances in South Asia, behove Pakistan to treat the Kashmir issue as its top priority; thankfully, Islamabad is doing that. The recent statement by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi concerning the establishment of an alternative Muslim bloc to deal with the Kashmir …
Read More »Sudan separates religion from state ending 30 years of Islamic rule
Sudan’s transitional government has agreed a deal with rebel groups which ends 30 years of rule under Islamic law and Islam as the official state religion.
Read More »Israel demands compensation from US for sale of F-35s to UAE
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth revealed yesterday that Tel Aviv demanded compensation in return for the US-UAE arms deal which would see the Emirates provided with F-35 fighter jets.
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