Middle Orient

A decade after it was opened, Bulgaria’s biggest asylum centre, in Harmanli, is a crowded, sometimes violent, and – according to many accounts – squalid place, emblematic of the rot at the heart of Europe’s asylum policy. Harmanli was built on tobacco, but it really grew under communism with the …

A visit by the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force to Baghdad has led to a pause in attacks on U.S. troops by Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, multiple Iranian and Iraqi sources told Reuters.Here’s a look at Iraq’s most influential Shi’ite parties and armed groups, who remain divided over how …

Iranian sources told Reuters on February 21 that Iran provided hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) to Russia in early January.[i] The three unspecified Iranian sources said that Iran provided roughly 400 SRBMs to Russia, including the Fateh-110 and the Zolfaghar. The sources said that Iran has sent at least …

Ukraine says Russian troops are being trained on the use of Iranian drones at the Shayrat airfield in Syria’s western province of Homs. At the same time, Syria has extended permission for the United Nations to deliver aid to opposition-held areas in the northwest of the country via two Turkish …

17 members of the Syrian regime forces were killed in a series of attacks by ISIS cells on separate locations in the Syrian desert within 72 hours, bringing the death toll of the regime and its loyal militias to 90 since the beginning of 2024. According to the Syrian Observatory …

Sources reported to Athr Press changes in the SDF’s military leadership. Several members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed in attacks carried out by Arab tribal fighters on Friday, targeting multiple SDF positions in the eastern and western countryside of Deir-ez-Zor. According to sources from Athr Press, Arab …

According to information acquired by Asharq Al-Awsat, the initiative encompasses a comprehensive restructuring of the constituent forces within the National Army. Sources within the Syrian opposition have unveiled a strategic plan aimed at revamping the Turkish-backed National Army. This initiative involves consolidating certain units, streamlining manpower, and ultimately enhancing security …

Ukrainian intelligence disclosed on Monday that Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah are training Russian pilots in the utilization of Iranian drones. The Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released lists on Wednesday, purportedly revealing the presence of numerous Syrians within the ranks of the Russian army engaged in combat …

Militants from the Islamic State group attacked military barracks in central Syria, while Deir-ez-Zor witnessed clashes between Kurdish forces and arab tribes. Missile attacks on US base in Syria Iranian-backed groups launched missile attacks on a US base on the west bank of the Euphrates River in Syria, MEMO reported. …

Today a friend asked me what I thought the end game in Gaza would be. That’s a hard question, but I can’t think of any possible good outcome. I go to many demonstrations and hear that Palestine will be free, but I’m not sure what that means to the marchers …