Middle Orient

Iraqi forces have retaken the Salaheddin provincial government headquarters in Tikrit from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a significant advance in the battle to recapture the city, officials said March 31. The spokesman for the Badr militia said members of the Popular Mobilisation units — pro-government …

Arab leaders have agreed to form a joint military force, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Sunday at a summit overshadowed by a Saudi-led offensive on Shi’ite rebels in Yemen. Arab representatives would meet over the next month to study the creation of the force, according to the resolution …

Turkey will provide a military facility in the southern province of Hatay, along with the Hirfanlı military base in the central Anatolian province of Kırşehir, for the training-equip program with the U.S. in the struggle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a Turkish official announced.

The EU Monday decided to appoint an Italian diplomat, Fernando Gentilini, as new special representative for Middle East, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini told a news conference at the end of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Analysts opine that the re-establishment of the post of the special EU envoy …

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday said the Obama Administration is willing to engage in talks with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad towards a peace deal in Syria. Kerry’s comments came on the fourth anniversary of the Syrian uprising. UN figures put the number of dead at more than …

EU foreign ministers began a meeting here Monday focussed on Libya, migration and relations with Africa, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini told journalists ahead of the meeting.

 France on Monday again ruled out a role for President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria in finding a solution to the four-year conflict in that country and pointed to his responsibility for 220,000 dead in his country and the sharp growth in terrorism. The French comments from Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain …

At least 26 people including seven children were killed and more than 100 wounded in Syrian government air strikes near the capital Damascus today, a monitor said. The raids on the town of Douma, northeast of the capital, came as the conflict entered its fifth year and the death toll …

US Defence Secretary and Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Wednesday that the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group may take longer than the three year timeline stipulated in President Barack Obama’s force authorisation request. “I cannot tell you that our campaign to defeat ISIL (IS) would be …

Secretary of State John Kerry urged lawmakers Wednesday to give President Barack Obama updated war powers to go after Islamic jihadists at “a pivotal hour” in the battle against the militants. “Our nation is strongest when we act together — and we simply cannot allow this collection of murderers and …