Middle Orient

More than six months after the United States killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, leadership of the terror group appears to have quietly passed to his heir apparent in Iran. A new report from the United Nations, based on member state intelligence, concludes Saif al-Adel …

The US Congress urgently needs to pass legislation introduced by the Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that will “prohibit the Biden administration from waiving Congressional sanctions that prohibit cooperation on Iran’s nuclear program.”It is stunning that the Biden Administration is offering Iran’s mullahs sanction waivers for their nuclear program while the …

What does Iran want from its intelligence agencies? What are their primary objectives? The primary mission of Iran’s intelligence agencies is to keep the Islamic regime in power. The Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization are the main intelligence agencies. Their …

Saif al-Adel, who is wanted by the United States in connection with the 1998 bombings of its embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, has been identified by many countries as the new “de facto and uncontested” leader of al-Qaeda, according to a report by U.N. experts. Many U.N. member states also …

The results of the seventh wave survey from Arab Barometer, a non-partisan research network that provides insight into Arab citizen views, shed light on regional perspectives on issues of climate change, water resources, and the environment. The survey, fielded between October 2021 and July 2022, included respondents from 12 countries …

Energy remains at the heart of the geopolitical chessboard. Despite recent advances in the development of renewable energy sources, and the advent of electric vehicles, their share in the energy mix remains limited as oil still meets most of the transportation sector’s needs. The development of renewable energies — wind, …

Summary Although U.S.-Saudi bilateral ties are on the mend, ambiguities and the transactional nature of the 1945 oil-for-security covenant contribute to mistrust and mutual tensions. But the burden of fixing or stabilizing the relationship is a shared responsibility. For its part, Saudi Arabia should make a determined and demonstrable effort …

The news of Iran’s planned purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 advanced fighter jets is the latest sign of deepening relations between Tehran and Moscow. This development is significant, as in recent years, similar contracts were canceled for the sale of Russian Su-35s to Algeria, Egypt and Indonesia under pressure from …

The outcome of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine is profoundly important to Ukraine, Europe and all nations of the world, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said at the end of the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels Wednesday. Austin also chaired a meeting of the …

This week, the Gulf Cooperation Council is hosting a delegation of senior US defense and military leaders in Riyadh to continue the important collaboration of the US-GCC Defense Working Groups. Two key themes have emerged from our collective efforts: That the US is committed to this region and its security, …