Middle Orient

The United States imposed sanctions Tuesday on five Syrian targets for supporting the Assad regime in Syria by trafficking illegal drugs. The sanctions reflect the Biden administration’s continuing efforts over the past 12 months to respond more proactively to the Syrian narco-trade. The production and trafficking of the amphetamine-like drug …

Before and after the investment, senior newsroom leaders urged Newsmax staff to soften coverage of Qatar, current and former employees said. A member of the Qatari royal family invested roughly $50 million in Newsmax, according to documents and representatives for the media company and the royal, in a moment of …

Unidentified warplanes bombed vital positions of militias supported by Iran in various areas of Deir Ezzor province, eastern Syria, without information on the extent of damage resulting from the strikes. Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Deir Ezzor reported that warplanes bombed scattered locations in Deir Ezzor province in the early hours …

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stated that the so-called Islamic State still poses a threat to its controlled areas in northeast Syria and to the world, as it seeks to rebuild itself through its sleeper cells and attempts to revive its dreams of regaining geographic control over certain areas. In …

Turkish authorities rounded up scores of suspects with alleged links to Daesh in nationwide raids, a government minister said on Tuesday. During simultaneous raids carried out in 30 cities across the country, 147 suspects were detained, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media. Daesh has said they were responsible …

European Parliament recommendation of 28 February 2024 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the situation in Syria (2023/2052(INI)) TA-9-2024-0109_ENDownload

Over the past several years, Iran has become a major global manufacturer and exporter of weapons, including suicide drones. The Iranian regime and its officials take great pride in this fact; in October 2022, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that the West is now “calling the Iranian drones dangerous …

Key Takeaways: West Bank: Shin Bet announced that the IDF seized a “significant amount of advanced arms from Iran” that Iran had smuggled into the West Bank to support Palestinian militia attacks targeting Israel.Northern Gaza Strip: A small number of Palestinian fighters have likely infiltrated Beit Hanoun in the northeastern …

Joint naval exercises among China, Russia, and Iran have significant implications for regional stability, power dynamics, and the existing world order. These exercises demonstrate a deepening of strategic mutual trust and cooperation between the three countries, as well as a potential challenge to the existing power dynamics and world order, …

Assessing the economic threat posed by the anti-Western axis Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, and Ebrahim Raisi, his Iranian counterpart, have several things in common. Both belong to a tiny group of leaders personally targeted by American sanctions. Even though neither travels much, both have been to China in recent years. …