Middle Orient

The visit of IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi to Paris offered Jerusalem the possibility to discuss the security situation in Lebanon, and how France can play a constructive role against the Hezbollah threat. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi concluded his visit to Europe today. Kochavi …

Hamas officially announced the resumption of relations with the Syrian government after a decadelong hiatus caused by the 2011 Syrian uprising, raising questions about the gains Hamas might achieve and why Iran sought to mediate the reconciliation. In a statement Sept. 15, Hamas officially announced the resumption of diplomatic relations …

Prices of international flights from Russia to countries where Russians can visa-free travel skyrocketed within hours following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization announcement. Prices of flights to Istanbul from Moscow and other major Russian cities jumped by more than 100% today due to high demand following Russian President Vladimir …

The sanctions come less than a week after Mahsa Amini’s death in custody of the morality police. The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iran’s so-called morality police following the death in custody of a 22-year-old Iranian woman detained for violating the country’s hijab rules. The Treasury Department accused …

This report offers a new framing of U.S. national security interests in the Middle East in light of changed political, security, and economic contexts. The authors argue for a new approach to managing U.S. security interests in the region that avoids the pattern of recurring reactive military engagements that have …

US troops on a base in northeast Syria came under attack. The rocket attack on Sunday failed to strike US or coalition forces or equipment, according to the US Central Command. Three 107mm rockets targeted the Green Village base, CENTCOM said in a statement. A fourth rocket along with rocket …

Mahsa Amini’s death ignited a wave of protests against the government. Iranian security forces opened fire on Saturday on a crowd of protesters mourning the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the “guidance patrol,” a police unit in charge of enforcing mandatory hijab rules. According to Hengaw, …

The Syrian Islamic Council close to the Syrian opposition issued a fatwa prohibiting the entry of Iranian goods into opposition areas, claiming Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is allowing the spread of the goods in its areas in northwest Syria. The Syrian Islamic Council issued Aug. 30 a fatwa on trading in …

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units have conducted numerous arrests of alleged ‘Bathists’ in recent days that raise questions about the legitimacy of the arrests and the political reasons behind them. As intra-Shiite conflict simmers in Iraq, arrests and questions about them threaten to derail attempts to restore calm after some of …

Iran took a step toward joining in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at a summit in Uzbekistan this week. Iran is getting closer to joining China and Russia in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Reuters reported Thursday that at a summit in Uzbekistan this week, Iran signed a memorandum of obligations to …