oday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two members of Hizballah’s Central Council. The Central Council is responsible for identifying and electing the group’s highest decision-making body, the Shura Council, which formulates policy and asserts control over all aspects of Hizballah’s activities, including …
Read More »U.S. stresses reform, anti-corruption as Hariri named Lebanese prime minister
Business as usual in Lebanon is unacceptable and any new government must be committed to – and capable of implementing – reforms that bring economic opportunity, good governance and an end to endemic corruption, a top U.S. diplomat said on Thursday.
Read More »IDF strikes Gaza after two rockets fired towards southern Israel
The IDF struck sites belonging to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Ashkelon on Thursday night.One rocket fell in an open field, while the second was intercepted by the Iron Dome system.
Read More »Bomb kills Muslim leader for Syria's capital: state media
A prominent Syrian Muslim cleric in charge of the Damascus region was killed Thursday when a bomb planted in his car exploded outside the capital, state news agency SANA said. Adnan al-Afiyuni, the Sunni Muslim mufti for Damascus province, was considered to be close to President Bashar al-Assad who hails …
Read More »US Embassy in Turkey warns of terror threat against Americans
The statement urged US citizens to avoid crowds and keep a low profile in areas frequented by foreigners. In a security alert issued Friday, the US Embassy in Turkey warned of a terror threat toward Americans in Istanbul and across the country.
Read More »Israeli technology exposes Gaza attack tunnel, challenges Hamas
The Israel Defense Forces know that the uncovering of a large Hamas terror tunnel does not mean that group would abandon its efforts to attack Israel. This week began with strenuous Israeli military activity all along the border fence with the Gaza Strip, including a troop buildup, Merkava Mark 4 …
Read More »Arab-Israelis unhappy with Joint List for rejecting deals with Gulf states
Despite reluctance among Arab-Israeli lawmakers, Israel’s Arab public largely supports the normalization deals signed with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Read More »Turkey’s withdrawal in Idlib may be omen of war
Turkey’s decision to evacuate military posts in regime-held areas in Idlib is hardly reassuring when considered against the backdrop of its continued military buildup elsewhere in the region.
Read More »Will Either Macron or Erdogan Back Down in the Eastern Mediterranean?
French President Emmanuel Macron has clearly decided to up the ante in a standoff with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, where France is backing Greece and Cyprus in their dispute with Ankara over natural gas reserves and maritime boundaries.
Read More »Competition and Cooperation in the Maritime Domain
Competition over the world’s maritime resources and territorial disputes over maritime borders are becoming increasingly prominent in international affairs. At the same time, depleted fish stocks and polluted waters make the question of how countries can collectively manage maritime resources a central one, particularly in discussions over climate change.
Read More »