Middle Orient

For two decades, the entire world was under threat from an insidious group, which at its peak claimed the lives of thousands through a series of bombings and attacks, including the events of Sept. 11, 2001, which to this day remains the deadliest terror attack in history. Al-Qaeda, once among …

As part of the diplomatic and emergency relief efforts since the devastating earthquake struck Turkiye and Syria, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken traveled to Adana province to oversee US assistance and pledge a further $100 million in aid. This brought the total US earthquake relief contribution to $185 million, …

At the beginning of February in Belgrade, representatives of the Directorate for the Prevention of Money Laundering of the Republic of Serbia and representatives of the Financial Intelligence Service of the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement on the prevention of money laundering. The signing ceremony was also attended by …

Recently launched government plans to restore stability to the troubled foreign exchange market proved no remedy, as ordinary Iranians continue to see their pockets shrink. At the closure of Iran’s foreign exchange market on Thursday, the country’s national currency, the rial, nosedived to a new record low. A US dollar …

Iranian state media said there was a military training exercise in the area, near the city of Karaj. The news follows an Iranian attack on an Israeli-linked ship and a suspected Israeli attack on an Iranian factory. Reports of a number of explosions in the city of Karaj in Iran …

Recent reports on Iran accelerating its uranium enrichment are pushing Israeli leaders to inspect concrete plans. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant agreed on Wednesday night on a multiyear defense budget, a large portion of which will be dedicated to preparations for …

Apart from Europe and the South China Sea region, the Middle East and North Africa is one of the epicenters for what the U.S. has termed “great power competition” especially between the U.S. and China, although Russia also figures into the assessment. There is particular sensitivity to China’s perceived economic …

Two decades on from the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, efforts to improve the country’s electricity infrastructure have lagged. Despite massive hydrocarbon reserves, including the world’s fifth-largest proved crude oil and 12th-largest proved natural gas reserves, Iraq struggles with chronic electricity shortages. Citizens do not have access to reliable electricity …

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 18, 2023, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said, “We need to find a way to get the Yemen truce reinstated but then we need to work to transition it to a permanent ceasefire,” referring to the U.N.-sponsored truce …

The flurry of announced plans to increase Western military aid to Ukraine continues. The United States and some North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have now pledged to deliver advanced infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks, and they are apparently considering advanced fighter jets, as well. If the West …