Middle Orient

Counterterrorism operations in Iraq’s western desert have resulted in the killing of an Islamic State leader as regional tensions rise across the border ahead of a likely Turkish military operation in northern Syria. Iraq has in recent weeks stepped up counterterrorism operations in its western desert and other areas amid …

Turkey’s strategy in blocking Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO memberships could soon start to pay off. Ankara’s threats to block Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO memberships may yield some modest dividends, with the security alliance weighing whether to devote its last session during a summit in Madrid next week to “challenges” to …

2018’in ekim ayında gazeteci Cemal Kaşıkçı’nın İstanbul’da öldürülmesinin ardından diplomatik ilişkileri kopma noktasına gelen Türkiye ile Suudi Arabistan arasında buzlar eriyor. Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan’ın nisan ayında ziyaret ettiği Suudi Arabistan’dan dün Türkiye’ye üst düzey bir iadeiziyaret gerçekleşti. Bu hafta önce Mısır’a, ardından Ürdün’e giden Suudi Arabistan Veliaht Prensi Muhammed bin Selman, …

Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine last week, comparisons to the United States’ 2003 invasion of Iraq have inevitably and understandably emerged. After all, at transformative moments in world history like the one we’re currently witnessing, analysts naturally draw historical analogies to make sense of …

Ahead of Biden’s visit, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in a clear message to the US administration and other Western powers, affirmed that any nuclear agreement or future negotiations with Iran must address the Iranians’ “destabilizing behavior in the region, their support for terrorist militias, and their missile program.” “Western …

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has decided to restore ties with Syria, 10 years after its leadership shunned Damascus over opposition to President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on a revolt against his rule, two sources within the group told Reuters. One official who asked not to be named said the two …

Turkey and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday declared their determination to start a “new era of cooperation” during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as they set aside years of acrimony following the brutal slaying of a Saudi columnist. The Turkish fiancée of the slain journalist meanwhile, decried …

The Israeli military has devised a new southern border strategy to contend with emerging and existing threats, including those posed by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) to the west and forces aligned with Iran to the east, as well as smugglers seeking to bring drugs and weapons into the …

Israeli strikes put Damascus International Airport out of action last week with flights diverted to Aleppo, in Syria’s north, or grounded altogether. While Israel has launched countless attacks on Iranian arms convoys in and around the airport before, the damage to the civilian annex was unprecedented. Syrian authorities say the …

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack on a civilian bus in northern Syria that killed 13 people and wounded three. The extremist group said in a statement late Monday that its gunmen attacked the bus with automatic rifles. It also posted photos of the attack. The …