Middle Orient

An Iranian strike on Pakistan this week that drew a rapid military riposte and raised fears of greater regional turmoil was driven by Iran’s efforts to reinforce its internal security rather than its ambitions for the Middle East, according to three Iranian officials, one Iranian insider and an analyst. Both …

Iran launched missile strikes on three different countries this week – Iraq, Syria and Pakistan – while proxy militant groups it backs continue to target US and Western interests and fight Israel, stoking fears of conflict that could engulf the Middle East and spread to other regions. Why did Iran …

On the evening of Monday, January 15, Iran targeted sites in Syria and Iraq with 24 ballistic missiles from southern and western Iran, with a range exceeding 1,200 kilometers. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it launched four “Khaibar Shekan” (Khaibar Breaker) missiles towards what it described …

Key Takeaways: Palestinian fighters are attacking Israeli forces in areas of the northern Gaza Strip where Israeli forces conducted clearing operations previously.The Gaza Strip is experiencing the longest, largest-scale internet blackout since the Israel-Hamas war began.Israel and Hamas began implementing a deal on January 17 that aims to supply medicine …

Yemen’s Houthi militia group, which controls the capital, Sana’a and parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, has attacked another ship in the Gulf of Aden, following a rash of attacks over the past several weeks. Iran’s supreme leader is encouraging the Houthis, which serve as an Iranian proxy in the …

Turkey said it had destroyed 23 targets in overnight air strikes on Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria, a further escalation of conflict south of its border. The attacks were the latest by Turkey since nine Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in …

ISIS carried out at least 14 confirmed attacks in December in the Homs, Hama, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Deir Ez Zor governorates. These attacks killed at least 19 pro-Assad regime soldiers and six civilians and wounded at least 14 more soldiers and civilians. There were also four high quality* attacks during …

Unless there’s an all-out conventional war between Iran and Pakistan, which isn’t expected unless their newly exacerbated but long-running security dilemma spirals out of control into one by miscalculation (perhaps due to US meddling), Eurasian integration won’t be dealt a deathblow. Nevertheless, very clear limits will be placed upon it …

The southern arena: The IDF forces continued the integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the Khan Yunis area. In the central Gaza Strip, the IDF forces destroyed a strategic set of tunnels that connected the northern and southern Gaza Strip and were used to transport Hamas operatives. …

Tehran’s top diplomat said on Wednesday that his country’s armed forces targeted an “Iranian terrorist group” in Pakistan the day before, after Islamabad said the strike killed two children. “On Pakistan, none of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones,” …