Eurasia

Biden: US Won’t Lift Iran Sanctions

U.S. President Joe Biden says he will not lift economic sanctions against Iran unless Tehran first cuts its uranium enrichment back to the level it agreed to in the 2015 international treaty aimed at restraining its development of nuclear weapons.

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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham shuts down arms stores across Idlib

The Syrian Salvation Government in Idlib issued a decision to shut down all weapons stores in the areas under its control as a result of accidental shootings and explosions taking place inside these stores. The Interior Ministry of the Syrian Salvation Government affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) issued Jan. …

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UN: 800 people returned to Libya while crossing Mediterranean

2020 was a deadly year for people fleeing Libya for Europe, according to data from the UN’s International Organization for Migration. Nearly 1,000 people fleeing to Europe by boat from Libya were stopped and sent back to shore this week. People seeking to cross the Mediterranean continue to risk death …

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Macron advocates Saudi, Israeli inclusion in Iran nuclear talks

The United States says it will present a “unified front” with Europe on Iran strategy once consultations with allies conclude. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday again suggested Saudi Arabia and Israel should be involved in renewed international engagement with Iran over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

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Al-Qaeda’s top man in Yemen captured last year, UN reveals

Khalid Batarfi was reportedly handed over to Saudi authorities in the latest hammer blow to the leadership of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The head of al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, Khalid Batarfi, was captured in the country’s eastern Mahra governorate in October, according to a new United Nations report.

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With New START Extended, What Is Future of US-Russian Arms Control?

Not so long ago, as the U.S. prepared to withdraw from the INF Treaty after 30-plus years over Russia’s alleged violations of that accord, the future of nuclear arms control in general and U.S.-Russian arms control in particular looked so dim that we at Russia Matters asked leading experts whether …

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The Russian Military’s Lessons Learned in Syria

The Russian military identifies its deployment to Syria as the prototypical example of future war—an expeditionary deployment to support a coalition-based hybrid war. The Russian General Staff cites Syria as highlighting the need for Russia to develop a new military capability—deploying flexible expeditionary forces to carry out “limited actions” abroad. …

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The Russian Military Police, from Syria to Karabakh

Following the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement signed in Moscow on November 9, 2020, between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that units of the Military Police (MP) will be part of Russian peacekeeping in the South Caucasus for an initial period of five years. The deployment of the MP …

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Opinion: To compete with China and Russia, the U.S. military must redefine ‘readiness’

The Defense Department’s 2018 National Defense Strategy was blunt in its assessment of America’s eroding strategic advantages: The U.S. military no longer enjoyed global primacy, and to remain competitive, needed to make fundamental changes. Namely, it must build a more lethal and modern force; strengthen international alliances and partnerships; and …

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