Middle Orient

The US is edging closer to war with Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, a state security agency composed of armed groups, some of which are close to Iran, but which for the main are Iraqi nationalists. The US carried out a drone strike in Baghdad, Wednesday that killed three members of …

On February 9, 2024, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his army would advance into Rafah, the last remaining city in Gaza not occupied by the Israelis. Most of the 2.3 million Palestinians who live in Gaza had fled to its southern border with Egypt after being told by …

In multiple statements over the past 24 hours, US officials have made clear that they will take no action against Israel no matter how many civilians it massacres in its planned assault on Rafah, where one million displaced people are sheltering. These statements effectively give Israel a blank check to …

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 …

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. …

Explosions have been reported near a US army base in Syria following an attack linked to retaliatory US airstrikes against Iranian-aligned groups and their positions. Meanwhile, the United Nations and human rights organizations have called for increased aid for Syria, one year after a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and the …

Oil major Shell (SHEL.L), has withdrawn from talks on building a petrochemicals plant in the southern oil hub of Basra, Iraq’s oil ministry said on Tuesday. Shell in a separate statement confirmed, it was leaving the project.A statement from Iraq’s oil ministry said Shell would not continue discussions with the …

Two explosions along Iran’s main south-north gas pipeline network on Wednesday were caused by sabotage, the Iranian oil minister told state TV, without naming any suspects. Authorities also denied reports that the incident caused gas cuts to industries and offices in some provinces, state media reported. “This terrorist act of …

Militants from the Islamic State group attacked military barracks in central Syria this week, killing nine soldiers, an opposition war monitor said. The Syrian army and officials have not confirmed the attack. IS claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday near the town of Al-Sukhna, saying its fighters also seized …

A new BBC investigation has found that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recruited former Al-Qaeda members to provide security in Yemen, and funded American mercenaries to carry out political assasinations in the country. In the report, which was detailed in a documentary released on Monday, a whistleblower told the BBC …