Middle Orient

As scattered anti-government and anti-hijab protests continue across Iran, members of one beleaguered ethnic and religious minority who joined in the demonstrations are still assessing the toll from “Bloody Friday.” Zahedan, the capital of the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, was the scene of the violent crackdown carried out by security …

The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) on Friday eliminated a member of the PKK terrorist organization who served as a so-called brigade chief in Syria. Nejdet Dağlarer, code-named “Geli Serhat,” was added to MIT’s target list due to his activities for the PKK in Türkiye and actions against the Turkish Armed …

A powerful jihadist group has taken over a strategic town in northwest Syria following days of clashes with several militia groups who were controlling the area, local sources said. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as al-Nusra Front, entered the town of Afrin on Thursday after its former rulers withdrew …

Thirteen people, mostly fighters, have been killed in two days of ongoing clashes between rival factions competing for power in northwest Syria, a war monitor said Wednesday. Fighting between two pro-Turkish Syrian rebel groups began in the town of Al-Bab in northern Aleppo province before spreading to other areas and …

Iran’s president on Thursday accused the U.S. of conducting a “failed policy of destabilization” targeting his nation, as Iranian protesters continued to call for the downfall of its rulers despite a violent and wide-ranging crackdown. President Ebrahim Raisi has repeatedly dismissed the unrest sparked by the death of a 22-year-old …

The New Jersey senator has vowed to block any deal until the Turkish president “halts his campaign of aggression against the region.” Turkey’s hopes of overcoming congressional hurdles and acquiring F-16 fighter jets and upgrade kits rose this week when the Senate removed two amendments to a bill designed to …

The often-deadlocked parliament chose a veteran Kurdish politician as president, who in turn designated Muhammad Shia al-Sudani for the prime minister position. Following a year of political deadlock since general elections in October 2021, Iraqi lawmakers today elected a new president as part of the process to form a government. …

Thirteen people, mostly fighters, have been killed in two days of ongoing clashes between rival factions competing for power in northwest Syria, a war monitor said Wednesday. Fighting between two pro-Turkish Syrian rebel groups began in the town of Al-Bab in northern Aleppo province before spreading to other areas and …

Turkey must respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all EU member states, particularly Greece and Cyprus, but Ankara remains a key partner, the EU Commission’s latest country report notes. The Commission’s enlargement package was presented by Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi on Wednesday. It assessed the progress made by Western …

The United States’ newly released national security strategy calls for restrained use of the American military in the Middle East. Instead, it prioritizes “out-competing China and constraining Russia” while criticizing the expanded missions of U.S. wars in recent decades. “We will not use our military to change regimes or remake …