Middle Orient

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Northeastern Syria has witnessed heightened security and military escalation over the past hours, marked by a series of attacks targeting military positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), alongside intensive troop movements and reinforcements along contact lines. Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Deir Ezzor reported today, Tuesday 13 January, that several …

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has made good on its pledge to label three Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist” organizations, imposing sanctions on them and their members in a decision that could have implications for U.S. relationships with allies Qatar and Turkey. The Treasury and State …

Vote for political bureau set to take place early this year, with Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashaal seen as top contenders to lead terror group under pressure to disarm Hamas is preparing to hold internal elections to rebuild its leadership, decimated by Israel during the war in Gaza, which it …

The spiritual leader of the Druze Unitarian community in Suwayda, Hikmat al-Hijri, called for full independence, without ruling out passing through a transitional phase of self rule under the supervision of an external guarantor, proposing Israel for this role as “the most suitable party,” according to his remarks. Al-Hijri stressed …

Negotiations between the government and the SDF over integrating the latter’s members into the national army or reaching specific security arrangements yielded no tangible results, reigniting tensions in Aleppo [ALEPPO] The Syrian government forces announced Saturday the suspension of their military operations in the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood of Aleppo in …

“We will never allow terrorist agents and terrorist groups, especially those directed from abroad and particularly by Israel, to continue their actions,” Iranian FM Araghchi told Al Jazeera. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hit out at the European Union’s parliment ban on Iranian diplomats in a post on X/Twitter on …

A renewal of relations between France and Turkey is vital to strengthen European strategic autonomy. To make this détente a reality, Paris and Ankara should move beyond personal friction and jointly engage with questions of Black Sea security. Europe’s push for greater strategic cohesion and autonomy in an uncertain world …

Years ago, I was negotiating with Iranian officials for the release of American hostages held in Tehran. The talks were not going well. At one point, my Iranian counterpart asked why Iran should ever make a deal with a country that constantly changes its government — in other words, a …

The Iranian regime appears to be at its weakest point in its nearly half century in power. For the past two weeks, Iranians throughout the country have taken to the streets in protest over Iran’s deepening economic crises, stirring up memories of the Mahsa Amini protests of 2022-2023 and the …