Eurasia

After failing to form a national majority government, Iraqi populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr asked his party members in parliament to prepare to resign. Leader of the Sadrist Movement Muqtada al-Sadr insisted in a public speech on forming a national majority government or otherwise his bloc will withdraw from parliament. “We …

Free Syrian Army factions are holding major military drills and parades to beef up their combat readiness to take part in the Turkish military operation against Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions have completed their preparations for the military operation that Turkish President Recep Tayyip …

Iran has been trying to dissuade Turkey from a fresh intervention in Syria while making military preparations on the ground to protect its interests amid a growing rift between the two neighbors. Driven apart by clashing regional interests, Turkey and Iran appear headed for a face-off in Syria, with Tehran …

The U.S. government has better information on Russian troops in Ukraine than on Ukrainian forces, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials. Kiev is keeping its biggest military sponsor in the dark, possibly even misleading Washington to protect the generous flow of American military aid into the …

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the South Caucasus has been unable to find a model for regional cooperation or form regional organizations. As I have noted elsewhere, “Over the past three decades, various initiatives for regional cooperation have been proposed, including the ‘Peaceful Caucasus Initiative’ (Eduard Shevardnadze), ‘Stability …

The announcements come as Israel seeks to reinforce and expand its relationships in Africa. Liberian senior officials said June 8 the country intends to open a trade office in Jerusalem that will eventually become an embassy. Israeli press was citing members of a visiting Liberian delegation headed by Minister of …

Reports that Moscow has been readying tens of thousands of Syrians to fight in Europe are “disinformation,” senior US defense official tells Congress. A senior Pentagon official threw cold water on recent news reports that Russia has been redirecting significant numbers of its troops and local mercenaries from Syria to …

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made a quick visit to the Emirates, where he met privately with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met this afternoon in Abu Dhabi with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. The trip was announced to the press only after Bennett landed …

Receiving Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu maintains that the creation of a safe maritime corridor for Ukrainian grain exports should be accompanied by the easing of sanctions against Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated his country’s “understanding” of Turkish security concerns along …

The Biden administration is pushing Turkey to back off its planned offensive against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, US officials told lawmakers on Wednesday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that Ankara would soon begin military operations aimed at establishing a 30-kilometer “safe zone” along its southern border. …