Russia has drawn up lists of 40,000 fighters from the Syrian army and allied militias to be put on standby for deployment in Ukraine, a war monitor said on Tuesday. The Kremlin said last week that volunteers, including those from Syria, were welcome to fight alongside the Russian army in …
Read More »In Warning to Ankara, Russia Resumes Raids in Idleb
Russian warplanes resumed their raids against terrorists in the de-escalation zone funded by the Turkish regime after a hiatus that lasted about 5 weeks, in warning to the regime of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against the consequences of miscalculations at such a time during the Russian military operations in …
Read More »Mass Graves Identified in Syria Could Hold Evidence of War Crimes
The New York Times, in collaboration with a Syrian survivors NGO, published a detailed report on mass graves in Syria, predicting that the information in the report might be used as evidence on serious war crimes. Throughout Syria’s 11-year civil war, human rights groups and government defectors have documented the …
Read More »Israel-Turkey rapprochement complicates Ukraine mediation efforts
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seem to be competing for a mediator role between Russia and Ukraine, but are they? Jerusalem has been cautious these past few days over Israel’s mediation efforts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, first …
Read More »Freeze and Build: A Strategic Approach to Syria Policy
Introduction Late 2021 and early 2022 had presented some reason for possible optimism with regards to diplomatic moves aimed at tackling Syria’s long deadlocked political process. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed everything. Syria diplomacy as we know it is over and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis appears to be …
Read More »Saudi-based GCC to hold Yemen talks; rebels decline invite
The Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday invited warring sides in Yemen for talks aimed at ending the civil war in the Arab world’s most impoverished country, a conflict now in its eight year. However, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have already rejected Riyadh — the Saudi capital were the GCC …
Read More »Drones and Missiles Strike US Military Base in Deir Ezzor, Syria
As a result of the attack, not yet claimed by any group, five powerful explosions shook the military compound, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported in Arabic, citing local sources. A U.S.-occupied military base in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor has been targeted by a drone and missile …
Read More »As Ukraine war rages, diplomats near Iran nuclear agreement
As the war in Ukraine rages on, diplomats trying to salvage the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal have been forging ahead with negotiations despite distractions caused by the conflict. They now appear to be near the cusp of a deal that would bring the U.S. back into the accord and …
Read More »Iran Says Promotion Of Ties With Russia A Priority For Its Foreign Policy
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described the expansion of relations with neighbors, including Russia, as a main priority in the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy. In a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday, Amirabdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov discussed the bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues of …
Read More »Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed speaks of ‘robust ties’ with UK after talks with Boris Johnson
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has spoken of his pleasure at meeting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for key talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The two leaders reviewed efforts to strengthen ties and discussed the “humanitarian impact” …
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