Middle Orient

Reactions to the killing of Saleh al-‘Arouri

On the evening of January 2, 2024, an explosion occurred in the Musharrafiya area of the Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut. According to reports, the attack was carried out by an aircraft and targeted a building where a meeting of senior Hamas terrorists was being held. The attack killed …

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In a Speech, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah Has Addressed the Killing of Hamas’s Saleh al-Arouri

Spot analysis from Carnegie scholars on events relating to the Middle East and North Africa. What Happened? In the aftermath of the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, much of Lebanon held its breath, worried that this would lead to a significant escalation …

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Why a Lebanon War Is Not Imminent

Several factors, including the need to avoid being diverted from Gaza, suggest that Israel benefits little from widening the conflict northwards. Predictions have increased that the daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah across the Lebanese-Israeli border, which have been ongoing since the October 7 Hamas attack, may escalate …

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Iran and Saudi Arabia Battle for Supremacy in the Middle East

Over the past decade, the struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia for dominance in the Middle East has insinuated itself into nearly every regional issue, fracturing international alliances and sustaining wars across the region, while raising fears of a direct conflict between the two powers that could involve the United …

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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., January 4, 2024)

The combat arena: IDF forces continued the integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip and the Daraj-Tufah neighborhoods east of Gaza City. The Palestinian media reported attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, which focused on the area of the al-Maghazi …

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Red Sea Turmoil Could Hit U.S. Economy, Warns White House

The White House has warned that the potential for higher shipping costs to affect the U.S. economy amid diversion of ships from the Red Sea will depend on how long Houthi rebels sustain their attacks on commercial vessels. A FreightWaves report said on Thu, Jan. 4, 2024: “If we were …

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US carries out illegal murder of Iraqi militia leader in expanding Middle East war

The US carried out an illegal missile strike on Baghdad, Iraq, on Thursday in the latest escalation of the US-Israeli rampage throughout the Middle East. Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that the US killed its target, identified as Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari. Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces said that …

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Airstrike in central Baghdad kills Iran-backed militia leader as regional tensions escalate

A U.S. airstrike on the headquarters of an Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad on Thursday killed a high-ranking militia commander, militia officials said. Thursday’s strike comes amid mounting regional tensions fueled by the Israel-Hamas war and fears that it could spill over into surrounding countries. It also coincides with a …

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Iran Moves To Seal Borders With Afghanistan And Pakistan After Deadly Blasts

Iran said it is shutting its vast borders with neighboring Afghanistan and Pakistan to increase security after the twin bombing that killed at least 89 people in the southeastern city of Kerman on January 3. The Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying his government …

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Pentagon Says ‘Self-Defense Strike’ In Iraq Kills Terrorist Leader

U.S. forces in Iraq conducted a self-defense strike which killed Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, a leader of the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba terrorist group that is operating both in Iraq and Syria, said the Pentagon press secretary. Al-Jawari, also known as Abu Taqwa, was actively involved in planning and carrying out …

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