Middle Orient

US, SDF capture, kill ISIS leaders in Syria helicopter raids

An ISIS leader was killed and another captured during joint helicopter raids in Syria, following deadly attacks on truffle hunters in the desert. Helicopter-borne US troops working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday (February 18) captured an “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) provincial official in Syria, …

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Trapped in Putin’s Embrace: Erdogan’s Russian Dilemma

The catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey earlier this month has put mounting pressure on embattled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of key presidential and parliamentary elections due to be held on May 14. It has also served to spotlight Erdogan’s problematically close ties with Moscow. As Erdogan is one …

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Under pressure: Houthis target Yemeni government with economic warfare

Even as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels pursue back-channel talks with Saudi Arabia as Riyadh looks for a major de-escalation in the coming weeks, they have also been ratcheting up the pressure on the internationally recognized Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG). On Feb. 16, 2023, the ambassadors of the United States, …

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Defending submarine cables in the Black Sea: A challenge for NATO and the region

Deep in the world’s oceans and seas lies a network of submarine communication cables connecting continents and regions. This critical infrastructure, owned mostly by international consortia of private telecommunication companies, spans, in total, more than 1.3 million kilometers and handles over 95% of the world’s data. The rise of projects …

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The GCC and the road to net zero

According to the latest report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world has already warmed by around 1.1°C compared to pre-industrial times and will likely approach 1.5°C within the next two decades. Every corner of our planet has already experienced the impacts of climate change, …

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Aqaba agreement overshadowed by spiking violence in the West Bank

It was described as a “significant breakthrough” by a Jordanian official, while Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the agreement would ‘’de-escalate violence” if implemented, but just as the details of the one-day security meeting in Aqaba, Jordan, on Feb. 26, were being announced, it became apparent once more that …

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On False Hopes and Broken Promises: Behind the Scenes of the UN Statement on Palestine

Rarely does the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations make an official remark expressing happiness over any UN proceeding concerning the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Indeed, the Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour is “very happy that there was a very strong united message from the Security Council against the illegal, unilateral …

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Israel extremist Minister calls to assassinate Palestinian faction leaders

The Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party called, Monday, for a return to the policy of assassinations and the “elimination” of the Palestinian factions’ leaders who, according to him, “incite against Israel”. This came during a visit to an illegal outpost built on …

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Top Daesh terrorist caught in Istanbul

A joint operation by Turkish police and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in Istanbul led to the capture of M.B., a senior figure from the terrorist group Daesh, authorities announced on Wednesday. M.B., a 36-year-old Tunisian national who used the code name Abu Huzaifah, served as a so-called “qadi” or judge …

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Azerbaijan Detains Citizens Recruited by ISIS in Syria

The State Security Service of Azerbaijan has detained Azerbaijani citizens who were recruited by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization. The operational and investigative measures carried out by the Service, which found that Mirjavad Salahov was affiliated with the ISIS, led to his detainment on February …

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