Middle Orient

Christian leader sees Lebanon’s moment to defang Hezbollah

Civil war veteran Samir Geagea hopes the Shiite militia will be pressed into a position where it has no choice but to disarm. There’s no love lost between Lebanese Christian leader Samir Geagea and Hezbollah. Geagea’s escaped his fair share of probable assassination attempts by the Shiite militant group over …

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Kurdish leader in Syria calls for diplomatic solutions to conflict with Turkey

The leader of the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria in an interview with The Associated Press called for international mediators to continue pushing for diplomatic solutions to the complex web of conflicts in the Middle Eastern country, including the escalating Turkish bombardment of Kurdish areas. Turkey has intensified its …

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ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in September 2024

ISIS carried out at least 16 confirmed attacks in September in the Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Raqqa, and Deir Ez Zor governorates. These attacks killed at least 32 pro-Assad regime soldiers and one civilian and wounded at least 21 others. There were also five high quality* attacks carried out during the …

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Politicians And Public Figures In Lebanon: It Is Essential To Implement Resolution 1559, Which Mandates Disarming Hezbollah; Resolution 1701 Is Not Enough

As part of the international efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah, politicians inside and outside Lebanon have reiterated the need to implement UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1701, which was adopted in August 2006 and ended the war between Israel and Hizbullah at that time. This resolution …

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In First Speech As New Leader Of Lebanese Hizbullah, Naim Qassem Condemns U.S.-Israeli Actions Against Region, Praises Iran’s Standing With Palestinians: ‘We Are Not Fighting On Behalf Of Anyone Nor For Anyone Else’s Project’

In his first speech following his appointment on October 29, 2024, Lebanese Hizbullah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem announced, in a televised speech on October 30, that he would follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in all political, jihadist, social, and cultural fields, and would continue …

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Ayatollah Khamenei: Miscalculations of the Zionist Regime Must Be Disrupted

Tehran (IP) – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in response to the recent Israeli attack on Iran, stated, “The miscalculations of the Zionist regime must be disrupted.” He highlighted the importance of demonstrating Iran’s strength, resolve, and the initiative of its youth in countering such …

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Hezbollah’s aggression in the eyes of the growing Lebanese opposition

Ever since the start of the escalation in South Lebanon last October, with the harsh destruction and the dire economic situation of the residents of South and Central Lebanon, we have witnessed a significant rise of voices criticizing Hezbollah’s conduct. It appears that Lebanon is being hijacked by foreign interests, …

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Iran Update, October 27, 2024

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inflicted serious damage to the Iranian integrated air defense network during its strikes on Iran on October 25. The IDF struck and disabled air defense command-and-control sites and radars, including at some S-300 sites.[1] The S-300 is Russian-made and the most advanced air defense system …

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Iran Update, October 26, 2024

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted three waves of strikes into Iran on October 25. The strikes were in response to the large-scale ballistic missile attack that Iran launched against Israel on October 1. The IDF targeted around 20 locations around Tehran and western Iran, including vital air defense assets …

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Iran says it has ‘duty to defend itself’ after Israeli strikes, but doesn’t vow response

NYT: Israel hit secretive Parchin base, S-300 air defenses near Tehran airport; reports say Israel aimed to minimize casualties; Iran says 4 soldiers killed Iran said Saturday it was obliged to “defend itself” after Israel conducted strikes on military targets throughout the Islamic Republic — an assault that came in …

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