Middle Orient

Iran exported 141.7 million barrels of oil during the first quarter of 2024, a 28 percent increase over the same period last year. Increased oil exports enhance Tehran’s currency reserves and enable it to support its military industry and proxies as it escalates tension with Jerusalem. In March 2024, Iranian …

On April 18 the US and UK imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran. On April 17 European Union leaders had talked aggressively about ramping up sanctions on Iran. This has happened in the wake of Iran’s April 13 attack on Israeli targets, which in turn was in response …

The Iranian-Israeli ‘shadow war’ ended on 13 April with Iran firing 170 drones and 150 cruise and ballistic missiles at Israel from Iranian soil. This was the Islamic Republic’s retaliation for Israel’s razing of an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus 12 days earlier. Tehran’s bold, unprecedented, and risky move, which …

Voters in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region will cast ballots on 10 June for the regional parliament for the first time since 2018, but a major force will be missing from the ballot. In an unprecedented move, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) declared on 18 March that it would boycott the election. …

Last week, Turkey introduced restrictions on trade with Israel, announcing a list of 54 products whose export it will halt until Israel declares a ceasefire in Gaza, according to the trade ministry. Turkey and Israel restored diplomatic relations in 2022 by reinstating ambassadors following years of tension. However, ties swiftly …

The operational synergy between the Lebanese Army’s Intelligence Directorate and Syrian counterparts led to the capture of the three suspects in a border region shared by Syria and Lebanon. The Lebanese Intelligence Directorate, in collaboration with Syrian authorities, successfully apprehended the three Syrian individuals accountable for the abduction and subsequent …

Turkey and an organization affiliated with it have constructed a new settlement in the Kurdish region of Afrin in northwest Syria, North Press correspondent reported on Monday. The new settlement is situated on the Jabal al-Ahlam (al-Ahlam Mountain) area that is situated to the south of the city of Afrin, …

Reports claimed on Wednesday that Iran is currently preparing for potential Israeli retaliation against its territory or proxies following Tehran’s missile attack on Israel on Sunday, Jpost.com reported. As such, Iran has allegedly removed senior Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from Syria. This comes amid US and European …

Syria TV says the Romanian intelligence chief delivered a joint message from Romania, Cyprus, Greece, and Italy. A European diplomatic source informed Syria TV on Wednesday that the Romanian intelligence chief recently met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian intelligence director Hossam Luka in Syria. According to the source, …

The Syrian regime, meanwhile, remains largely indifferent to the national security and cultural identity issues, Wafaa Allouch writes in Syria TV. This was not the first instance of Israel launching an airstrike aimed at eliminating specific targets deemed a threat. On April 1, Israel conducted a destructive air raid on …