Middle Orient

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian Kurdish commander Mazlum Kobane discussed the recent clashes in Deir Ezzor between local tribes and Kurdish forces. A rare tribal uprising in eastern Syria against the United States’ top local ally has been successfully suppressed after more than a week of fierce clashes …

A U.S.-Iran understanding may have calmed tensions, but this was followed by Kurdish-Arab fighting that did precisely the opposite. The summer was hot in northeastern Syria, as has been the transition to autumn. The season began with increased tensions between U.S. forces, which maintain a presence in the northeast, on …

Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria “poses a threat to its national security.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come out in support of Arab tribes engaged in violent clashes with the United States’ top local ally against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria’s oil-rich eastern …

Hamas criticized the visit as Israel’s relations with the island kingdom continue to improve, despite historically high tensions with the Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrapped up a three-day visit to Bahrain on Tuesday, leaving the the Gulf nation with several bilateral agreements and cooperation pledges. The Gaza-based Palestinian …

Israel’s Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel met in London with Iranian exiled activists and journalists, preparing for “the day after” when the Iranian regime weakens. Israel’s Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel met on Wednesday in London with several Iranian activists and journalists in part of a monthslong campaign by the senior Israeli …

The UK before the economic crisis of 2008 was very different from the UK that emerged from the global financial meltdown and its repercussions, which have shaped, or rather failed to appropriately shape, the priorities of the country ever since. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the subsequent strategic …

IntroductionThe war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed the Russian-Iranian relationship. The cooperation between the two countries has reached unprecedented levels, evident in the use of Iranian drones by Russia in Ukraine. The two countries have increased their efforts to jointly resist Western sanctions and political isolation. Iran also continues to …

After the US unilaterally walked out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 to revive the Iran nuclear deal have not succeeded so far. Points of contention have included re-imposition of sanctions by the US, Iran making significant gains in its …

Russia’s Caspian Flotilla has been dominant in the inland sea for so long that many have ignored the fact that, over the past several years, it has ceased to be the only national navy that matters. Outside powers, due to the expansion of their navies, are moving to assume a …

Insiders have told Syria TV that the behaviour of the United States indicates a desire to maintain Arab influence in the Deir-ez-Zor. A field source in Deir-ez-Zor province has refuted claims made by General Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the “Syrian Democratic Forces – SDF,” regarding air support from the …