Middle Orient

Rights watchdog’s 50th anniversary report painted a bleak picture of the state of freedom in several countries in the region, although Kosovo bucked the trend. The 2023 annual “Freedom in the World” report by rights organisation Freedom House says several countries in Southeast and Central Europe, except for Kosovo, saw …

Iran’s highest-ranking military commander said the country has manufactured an advanced ballistic missile that can hit moving targets in the sea. In comments on Monday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said Iran has gained the technical know-how to produce ballistic missiles capable …

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday during an unannounced visit to Iraq that U.S. forces operating in the country are focused on supporting Iraqi forces and defeating the Islamic State group, while highlighting the need for security to carry out that mission. “Our defense cooperation against Daesh is a …

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday received Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace in the capital, Riyadh, the Saudi News Agency reported. At the beginning of the reception, the crown prince welcomed the Polish premier to the Kingdom, wishing him and …

If there is one place Saudi Arabia was happy to be low on the totem pole, it was Iran. Those days are over. Strategic thinkers in Tehran have upgraded their perception of the threat posed by the kingdom. Rather than simply viewing Saudi Arabia as a Middle Eastern extension of …

The sudden unannounced arrival of the top US military officer General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a dusty American base in Syria’s remote northeast on Friday may call to mind a famous quote by Dick Cheney, vice-president in the George W Bush presidency: “The good …

What’s new? Thousands of foreign nationals who joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq have crossed into Türkiye. Some have been deported. Others have stayed, with some still facing trial for terrorism-related charges and others nearing the end of their prison sentences. Their presence creates a humanitarian and security challenge for Türkiye, …

Both Russia and Iran have deep, multifaceted, and long-standing connections to Syria. During the Cold War, Damascus emerged as the Soviet Union’s most loyal Middle Eastern ally, and the relationship regained vibrancy in the 2000s as Vladimir Putin strove to reestablish Moscow’s regional preeminence. Meanwhile, the 1979 Iranian revolution reversed …

What’s new? A three-year ceasefire in rebel-held Idlib has saved countless lives and allowed the main insurgent group, Hei’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), to redirect its efforts from fighting the regime to dismantling ISIS and other jihadist cells. Yet uncertainty regarding Türkiye’s Syria policy may threaten the relative peace and hamper humanitarian …

To Protect Its National Security, Israel Will Need to Compromise These are trying times for the U.S.-Israeli relationship, which the U.S. government often defines as ironclad. Benjamin Netanyahu has returned to power as Israel’s prime minister in a governing coalition that is the country’s most right-wing and religious in history. …