Middle Orient

Clashes between Iraqi security forces and a Yazidi militia known as the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS) may represent one of several new fronts in escalating tensions between Iran and Turkey in Iraq. Turkey has intensified air, drone and artillery attacks against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets beyond the remote, northern …

As a rule of thumb, all dictators are worried at the end of their rule about the future and who will grip power after them. Their attempts are geared towards somehow putting their children in their place in order to continue their rule. This is also true of Ali Khamenei, …

Nearly three years after U.S.-backed forces in Syria seized the last remaining territory held by Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate, members of the global coalition charged with eradicating the terror group warn their task is not getting any easier. Despite IS’s loss of several key leaders and intelligence that suggests a …

The attack comes two months after the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at what it said was an Israeli base in Erbil. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has shelled an area in Erbil in neighbouring Iraq, targeting positions it said were held by “terrorist groups”. The IRGC ground forces launched …

A Hamas delegation visited Moscow at a time when relations between Russia and Israel are taking a more tense turn due to Israel’s position in the Russia-Ukraine war. A Hamas delegation visited Moscow on May 4, where it held talks with Russian officials at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s guesthouse. The …

Hamas is urging Arabs of Israel to escalate their attacks against Israelis inside Israel, as part of efforts to confuse the Israeli army in the event of a war with Gaza. As part of efforts to avoid dragging the Gaza Strip into another military confrontation with the Israeli army, Hamas …

The Iran nuclear deal may be facing “last bullet” with no deal in sight on IRGC. A few months ago in Vienna, observers were anticipating a signing ceremony for a revival of the Iran nuclear deal, formally known Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The so-called P5+1 countries, minus the …

Turkey and Kazakhstan agree on an enhanced strategic partnership during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s first-ever state visit to Turkey . Turkey and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to start co-producing Turkey’s Anka drones in Kazakhstan during the first-ever state visit of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Ankara. The memorandum of understanding signed between …

The breakdown between sides serves Turkey’s agenda of keeping its Kurdish foes divided and weak. Turkey’s military escalation against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has deepened the gulf between Syrian Kurdish groups and put the kibosh on US-mediated talks that were aimed at forging unity in northeast Syria between the …

While the Kremlin is busy in the west, developments to the south promise further threats to its aggressive policy in the borderlands. Overshadowed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the South Caucasus is witnessing huge developments which could potentially decrease tensions between Armenia on the one hand and Turkey and Azerbaijan …