On November 4, Iran’s Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit. In the Pakistani capital, Araghchi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, and others. Pakistani media reports said that the Iranian foreign minister’s goal was …
Read More »Palestinian Writers Slam Hamas’ Policy And Conduct: Its October 7 Attack Was Reckless; It Places No Value On Palestinian Lives; It Serves The Agenda Of Iran And The Muslim Brotherhood
In the recent months, numerous articles in the Palestinian dailies Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam, published in the Palestinian Authority (PA) territories in the West Bank, have voiced sharp criticism against Hamas, emphasizing the immense damage it has caused to the Palestinian people and their national struggle, especially since its October …
Read More »Assad and Hezbollah hunker down in Syria
The Middle East has experienced an extraordinarily tumultuous year, as the ripples from Hamas’ assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, continue to fuel hostilities in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the waters of the Gulf. The more recent intensification of conflict in Lebanon following Israel’s devastating pager and …
Read More »Khamenei’s American reality check
As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the main question in Tehran is not so much what the incoming American president will do about Iran. Rather, it is about whether Tehran should negotiate with him. Numerous Iranian officials, including former senior diplomats, are making the case that …
Read More »ICC issues arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas leader
Judges at the International Criminal Court have issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, Reuters reported on Thursday afternoon. The move comes after the ICC prosecutor Karim …
Read More »Iran Update, November 19, 2024
Hamas and other unidentified Palestinian militias have formed a combined force to stop armed gangs from looting humanitarian aid, which indicates that Hamas has only limited control of the Gaza Strip.[1] It remains unclear if Hamas distributes the aid equitably after it recovers stolen aid. Reuters reported on November 19 …
Read More »‘Humanitarian Catastrophe’: Turkish Strikes Leave 1 Million in Northeast Syria Without Electricity, Water
Latest Developments • Kurdish-Held Northeast Syria Faces Electricity, Water Crisis: Turkish strikes in northeast Syria have left more than 1 million people in northeast Syria without access to electricity and water, the BBC reported on November 19. Between October 2019 and January 2024, Turkey carried out more than 100 strikes …
Read More »Iran Update, November 18, 2024
The continued looting of humanitarian aid trucks demonstrates that Hamas’ internal control remains limited and severely weakened. Armed groups looted 98 of 109 humanitarian aid trucks that entered the southern Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom border crossing on November 16.[1] It is unclear if these armed groups are affiliated …
Read More »Captured Documents Show Iranian Support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip
Iran has been Hamas’ primary strategic supporter since 2014, providing military equipment and training as well as financial aid amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars for the movement’s leadership and its military wing. Senior Hamas figures have also publicly thanked Tehran for providing weapons enabling attacks deep inside Israeli …
Read More »ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in October 2024
ISIS carried out at least 12 confirmed attacks in October in the Homs, Hama, Raqqa, and Deir Ez Zor governorates. These attacks killed at least 20 pro-Assad regime soldiers and one civilian and wounded at least 24 others. There were also three high quality* attacks carried out during the month. …
Read More »