Middle Orient

Neither side has acknowledged whether Iran’s capture of the Turkish-operated fuel tanker was a tit-for-tat move. Iran and the United States have again found themselves on opposite sides as they provided contradictory accounts of events that led to Tehran’s seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. Iran’s …

From Wagner’s crimes and fake pretexts to the UN’s inaction, the Iraq invasion offered a preview of the Ukraine war. But not all is the same. Twenty years ago, on May 1, 2003, then-United States President George W Bush announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq, a giant …

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto met with Iraqi political leaders on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties and cooperation. During the meeting, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani commended Italy’s role in assisting Iraq in combating terrorism, according to a statement from the prime minister’s media office. Al Sudani also …

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Wednesday to strengthen cooperation between the two allied nations. Iran has been a key supporter of Assad’s government since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, providing military advisors and Iran-backed fighters from across the Middle East. …

US reaffirms rejection of rapprochement with Syria after Moscow’s meeting In a meeting in Washington, Barbara A. Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said on Wednesday during a meeting with a delegation of the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) that the US policy towards Syria “has not …

Lebanese internal factions are using the Syrian refugee issue for political gains, according to Syria TV. The issue of inciting violence against Syrian refugees has once again resurfaced in Lebanon, with several political parties spearheading campaigns to force their deportation. However, some political forces and international organizations still reject this …

Hundreds protest against Arab rapprochement with Syria’s al-Assad Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of several cities in northwestern Syria to protest against warming ties between some Arab countries and President Bashar al-Assad. The biggest demonstration took place on Sunday in Idlib, a stronghold of forces opposed to …

Ankara says that the quadripartite meeting planned in Moscow on Tuesday, is part of the efforts to normalize relations with the regime, Asharq Al-Awsat says. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar surprised many by announcing a quadripartite meeting of defense ministers and intelligence chiefs from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria in …

Washington Post: Leaked Documents Show Ukraine Planned Attacks on Russian Forces in Syria Ukraine’s military intelligence made plans to conduct covert attacks on Russian forces operating in Syria with the help of Kurds, leaked U.S. intelligence documents show, the Washington Post reported. The plans appear to have been aimed at …

Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. The Turkish-Syrian rapprochement efforts, steered by Russia, are ranked as the second most significant game of diplomacy in the Middle East, Forbes reported. Defence ministers and intelligence chiefs from Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iran convened in Moscow for a crucial four-way …