Middle Orient

The United States and Iran had their latest near miss Monday, after three vessels controlled by Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps buzzed two American ships at what the U.S. military called “dangerously high speed.” The USS Sirocco, a Cyclone-class patrol ship, and the USNS Choctaw County, a fast transport vessel, …

For more than half a century, US engagement across the Arab region, and the wider world, has been premised on “preventive diplomacy,” which entailed knowing more about foreign nations and their citizens than any other country on the planet. It meant that US embassies were right-sized, well-financed, adequately staffed and …

More than 30 Islamic State prisoners escaped from a Kurdish-run prison in Syria’s northern province of Raqqa on Sunday, the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper reported. The inmates escaped from the central prison in northern Raqqa at dawn, Al-Watan reported. The Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fanned out in search of the …

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will begin a tour of countries in the region beginning on Monday. The crown prince, known as MBS, will start his tour with Egypt and a meeting with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday and then travel to Jordan for a …

There also exists the dangerous likelihood, if and when Iran’s regime has nuclear weapons, that they will fall into the hands of Iran’s proxies and militia groups, or that the regime will share its nuclear technology with its proxies and allies, including the Syrian regime and the Taliban in Afghanistan. …

The Iranian delegation led by senior adviser to the Iranian foreign minister for special political affairs, Ali Asghar Khaji, met with the Russian delegation on the first day of the 18th round of the international meetings of the Astana process in the Kazakh city of Nur Sultan. During the meeting, …

Kurdish units and Iranian-affiliated factions in Syria have formed a joint operations room under Russian supervision to counter a possible Turkish military operation in northern Syria. Several Syrian groups and battalions with different affiliations announced on May 25 the formation of a joint operations room ahead of an imminent Turkish …

The U.S. does not want the Syrian parties to unite in the face of Turkey’s threats, according to al-Watan. Civilian sources in Tal Rifaat and Manbij, located in north and northeast Aleppo, expressed fear that the Turkish regime would launch an aggressive campaign to divide the region into two sections. …

Zuhair Muhammed said Iran continues to strengthen its influence in Syria amid total international inaction, according to the SOC Media Department. The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) stressed that Iran is seeking to increase its influence in Syria through various means, adding that Iran’s efforts are not limited to military control …

These are the first tankers to reach the country as part of the new credit line between Iran and Syria, according to al-Watan. Informed sources in Tehran revealed that two tankers arrived on the Syrian coast on Monday. They are the first tankers to reach the country as part of …