Middle Orient

Iran sees Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as an ally worth keeping despite his harsh criticisms of Iran and its allies in Iraq. Hundreds of Sadrist protesters joined a demonstration today in Baghdad’s Liberation Square, marking the third anniversary of the start of the so-called October protest movement. On Oct. …

One year after Iraq’s elections, the designated prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, stands poised to form Iraq’s newest government. Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Shia al-Sudani officially requested of parliament Tuesday evening a session to vote on his cabinet. Sudani’s media office tweeted on Oct. 26 that the prime minister designate “is …

Parents outraged by latest actions to suppress protests, as students heckle government official. Tehran’s Mortazavi neighborhood witnessed clashes well into midnight after security forces raided a girls’ high school amid nationwide anti-government unrest that has continued unabated for over five weeks. The tension began after stories made rounds on social …

Turkey’s Islamist President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been militarily threatening a fellow NATO ally, Greece, using increasingly threatening language. He also proudly announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised him to make Turkey an international natural gas hub, therefore selling his gas via Turkey, avoiding Western sanctions. What does …

Despite the heavy presence of Syrian and Russian forces in southern Syria, militants affiliated with the Islamic State group appear to be active in the region. Last week, local fighters, some of whom were affiliated with the Syrian government, carried out an operation targeting several hideouts belonging to IS operatives …

An Iranian official unveiled new plans to ensure a steady supply of gas and boost the exports to Turkey within the next six months. Head of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Dispatching Department Mohammadreza Julaee has expounded on the results of a recent meeting with the representatives of BOTAS, …

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan create a natural gas hub in Thrace, the European part of Turkey. As expected, this proposal made headlines in the Turkish media, but the content has not yet been detailed. It may have been designed as a hub …

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has seized several cities and towns in areas under the control of the Turkish-backed factions after days of clashes between rival factions. Areas controlled by the Syrian National Army (SNA) — which is affiliated with the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) — in the eastern and northern …

Russia is testing the readiness of the Syrian government forces in their area of deployment on the outskirts of Idlib, in what some fear is a prelude to a wide-scale military operation to uproot the opposition in northwest Syria. The Syrian government forces, under the supervision of Russian forces, conducted …

The Islamic State has launched several attacks against the Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria amid lax security by the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Islamic State has recently renewed its activities in the areas under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria. On Oct. 14, IS …