Middle Orient

US Losing Pretexts For Occupying Eastern Syria – OpEd

When the US led an international coalition in mid-2014 to bomb Daesh targets in Syria and Iraq, the terrorist organization had already occupied large swathes of territory spanning the two Arab countries and had the means to send its fighters all the way to Baghdad. A dozen nations carried out …

Read More »

Iran’s Growing Rift Between Theocrats and Security Elites

In the aftermath of nationwide protests, tensions are rising among the Iranian establishment. One consequence of the nationwide protests in Iran sparked by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 has been the widely celebrated retreat of the morality police responsible for enforcing Iran’s mandatory …

Read More »

How Israel Can Solve Its Gaza Problem – Analysis

Israel has in recent years been living with a dangerous phenomenon, to which it has wrongly become accustomed, without any real debate as to its advisability. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) are Palestinian terror organizations committed to annihilating Israel, controlling Gaza, and threatening to launch attacks at times of …

Read More »

Another PKK terrorist surrenders to Turkish authorities

Authorities announced Saturday that one member of the PKK terrorist group has surrendered after long persuasion efforts by security forces in Türkiye’s eastern province of Hakkari. “One male member of the PKK/KCK was convinced to turn himself into Türkiye. He was brought to Hakkari, reunited with his family and later …

Read More »

SDF hands over dozens of ISIS terrorists to Iraq

50 Iraqi prisoners belonging to ISIS group and 168 families of ISIS militants were returned from Syria to Iraq on Saturday, an Iraqi official source revealed. The source explained that terrorists brought back from Syria will be interrogated by the Iraqi security and tried in Iraqi courts, AFP reported. Families …

Read More »

A Latent Problem for Erdoğan

Türkiye’s president has just won reelection, but events in northern Syria may prove more complicated than expected. The general elections in Türkiye are now over, which is likely to provide more clarity with respect to how Ankara will deal with the situation in Syria in the coming months. While some …

Read More »

Turkey’s Spymaster: The Making of a Hero

An impressive campaign by Hakan Fidan’s media team has made almost an entire nation worship him. I received a text message from my Persian yoga teacher asking, “Is Hakan Fidan the new [Mohammad] Mossadegh for CIA and Mossad?” I was baffled by the comparison between the head of the Turkish …

Read More »

Iran’s IRGC speed boats ‘harassed’ ship in Strait of Hormuz: US Navy

There have been several incidents involving US and Iranian naval forces in the strategic waterway in recent years, prompting the US to increase patrols. The US Navy said an American destroyer and UK Navy frigate responded to a distress call by a commercial ship pursued by fast boats belonging to …

Read More »

Inflation in Turkey drops below 40% in May as Erdogan forms economic team

As Turkey’s annual inflation eases further in May, eyes are on the policies the reelected president’s new economic team will pursue with Mehmet Simsek at the helm. Turkey’s year-on-year inflation dropped to 39.59% in May, official data released on Monday showed, broadly in line with expectations after the government made …

Read More »

Saudi Arabia set to host major China business conference, as ties grow

The kingdom wants to diversify its economic partnerships and values China with regards to energy and geopolitics, according to one expert. Saudi Arabia and China will participate in a business conference in Riyadh this month, expected to draw major businesses and investment firms, as the kingdom continues to pursue stronger …

Read More »