Middle Orient

This month marks 12 years since a popular uprising in Syria erupted as part of the wave of Arab uprisings known as the Arab Spring and soon turned into an all-out civil war. Since then, over 300,000 civilians have been killed and millions of people displaced. The past year of …

Quiet mediation efforts between Egypt and Iran have been going on for months, seeking to end one of the Middle East’s longest-running but often-neglected feuds. In May, credible media reports indicated that Egyptian-Iranian talks had been taking place in Baghdad since March. Later that month, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq …

It’s been almost a year since Elias—whose name has been changed to protect his identity—officially became a deserter from the Lebanese armed forces. As a specialized technician with over a decade in the army, he had been making the equivalent of $1,300 month. But then Lebanon’s economic crisis hit in …

On July 3, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reached an agreement with Iraq to invest $3 billion each in the country, signaling an expansion of investments by the Gulf states at a time when Iraq continues to seek financing for postwar reconstruction and development of its infrastructure. Iraqi …

There has been a notable escalation in maritime tensions between Iran and the United States in the vicinity of Iran’s southern coastlines. In recent years, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have been the sites of several incidents involving attacks on tankers. These occurrences have often taken place …

The two events — in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon — received little attention from the international community and media, most likely because Israel was not involved. Needless to say, the United Nations Security Council was not asked to hold an emergency session to discuss the crimes committed by Palestinians …

Iranian and Pakistani Foreign Ministers Hossein Amirabdollahian and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasized enhancing all-round relations and developing economic cooperation and bilateral trade. Amirabdollahian highlighted the need to finalize agreements on exchanging prisoners and addressing unauthorized border crossings. The Iranian top diplomat emphasized the importance of implementing the positive agreements achieved …

Both the White House and the State Department remain silent as Turkey’s military campaign against the PKK continues “full blast.” Turkey’s military campaign against alleged Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in Syria and Iraq is continuing full blast with at least four fighters of the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) …

Why a Spate of Diplomatic Deals Won’t End Conflict In mid-July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan completed a high-profile tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, a trip that brought tens of billions of dollars in investment deals in Turkey’s struggling economy. The trip was the culmination …

In an interview, Leonid Nersisyan examines Moscow’s stakes in the Levant and North Africa in light of the stalemated war in Ukraine. Leonid Nersisyan is a defense analyst focusing on the foreign and military policy of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States region. He also follows the defense industry …