Middle Orient

Russia’s apparent fast-tracking of plans to establish a military hub in Libya could worsen that country’s protracted conflict. For Russia, as for Iran, last month’s fall of the 54-year-old Assad dynasty in Syria was a major geo-strategic setback. Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s sudden defeat threatened Russia’s important military presence …

At least five civilians had been killed and some 30,000 people displaced following renewed fighting in Aleppo, Syria. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said he is alarmed by reports of civilian deaths and injuries after hostilities re-escalated earlier this week in the northeastern neighbourhoods of Syria, calling …

En dépit des accords de cessez-le-feu conclus avec le Liban et à Gaza, et des discussions en cours avec la Syrie sur les contours d’un accord de sécurité, Israël poursuit une politique dite de « défense avancée » qui fait peu de cas de la souveraineté de ses voisins. Au …

Government measures such as cash handouts and leadership changes have failed to quell protests Streets across Iran remain volatile as the government fails to offer a meaningful response to public grievances. What began as anger over a collapsing economy has snowballed into broader unrest that mixes economic despair with political …

Tehran has condemned capture of president Nicolas Maduro as it warns against US striking Iran When Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on Monday, three diplomats stood out among the first people to congratulate her: the ambassadors of China and Russia, and that of Iran, Ali Chegini. …

Public offices and schools closed and flights suspended in northern city as fighting continues The Syrian army warned Kurdish militias on Wednesday that it would strike “military targets” in Aleppo, as deadly exchanges continued for a third day in the latest round of urban warfare in the country’s second-largest city. …

Iran’s top judge warned protesters on Wednesday there would be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic,” while accusing Israel and the US of pursuing hybrid methods to disrupt the country. Tehran remains under international pressure with US President Donald Trump threatening to come to …

Iran’s New Year protests expose the pressures shaping the political system’s response to dissent. The New Year demonstrations in Iran came at the end of a year marked by war, economic strain, and political uncertainty. In 2025, Israel launched a 12-day attack on Iran, assassinating senior military leaders and targeting …

The Islamic Republic has experienced multiple mass protests in recent years, but the latest round of demonstrations come at a particularly difficult moment for the regime. Carolyn Kissane, academic director and clinical professor at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University, leads the conversation on the geopolitics of …

HRANA- Protests and strikes in various cities across Iran entered their eighth day. An assessment of updated and verified data indicates that despite intensified security measures, increased deployment of law enforcement and security forces, and the continuation of on-the-ground crackdowns in some areas, the geographical spread of the protests has …