Middle Orient

A high-ranking security commander and his companions were assassinated in the Mudiyah district in the Abyan governorate in a suspected al-Qaeda attack. The roadside bomb detonated while the convoy was passing near the village, days after the launch of a new campaign targeting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terrorists. …

Grand Mufti of Lebanon Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian has underlined on Friday the importance of the international Islamic conference that will be held in the Holy City of Makkah on August 13. He said the conference will have a major role in enhancing bonds among Islamic nations, highlighting the countless …

On July 24th, the Israeli Knesset passed a measure forbidding the country’s High Court of Justice from in any way checking the power of the government, whether in making cabinet decisions or appointments, based on what’s known as the “reasonability” standard. In the Israeli context, this was an extreme act, …

Iran has initiated the construction of a mining complex in the northwestern region of the country, aiming to establish a crucial “hub” for the production of essential raw materials required for nuclear power generation. According to PressTV, the project’s inauguration took place on Thursday in the Jang-e Sar region of …

Escalating clashes between Turkey and Kurdish militants in northern Iraq have left six Turkish soldiers dead. Six Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdish militants in northern Iraq this week, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Thursday as the fighting between Turkish forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) escalated …

Under a detainee deal negotiated between Washington and Tehran, several US citizens imprisoned in Iran have been transferred to house arrest in a step toward their full release. Iran has transferred five US citizens held in Evin Prison to house arrest as part of a long-awaited deal that would involve …

Saudi Arabia’s cooperation with China on technological and scientific innovation is on the rise—and it is Saudi priorities that are steering the relationship. CHINA LOCAL/GLOBAL China has become a global power, but there is too little debate about how this has happened and what it means. Many argue that China …

ISIS militants killed 10 Syrian troops and pro-government fighters in the former extremist stronghold of Raqqa province, a war monitor said Tuesday. “ISIS attacked positions and checkpoints belonging to the regime… setting fire to military vehicles and prefabricated houses,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Six soldiers were also …

Laying out Turkey’s foreign policy priorities, Hakan Fidan set forth a national security-oriented agenda, striking a more hawkish tone on the Kurdistan Workers Party while softening his language on regional ties. Articulating his foreign policy vision for the first time since he took over the office, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan …

IS militants attacked several positions and checkpoints of the Syrian government and allied fighters in the group’s former stronghold of Raqqa. Islamic State militants launched a surprise attack on Syrian government positions in Syria’s northeast Raqqa province on Monday evening, killing at least 10 soldiers and pro-government fighters. The attack, …