Middle Orient

Iran’s Plan to Foil Israeli-Arab Normalization and to Keep Expanding the Revolution

When Hamas and Hezbollah talk about “develop[ing] the program and axis of resistance,” they are referring to terrorist attacks against Israel. The two terrorist groups have tens of thousands of rockets and missiles that are ready to be fired towards Israel at any moment from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. …

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Iran Applies For BRICS Membership

Iran has applied for joining the group of five major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, a spokesman said. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced at a press conference on Monday that the Islamic Republic has submitted its application for membership in the BRICS. …

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A Reluctant Chinese Dragon In West Asia: Evidence From Syria

Diplomatic and commercial ties between China and Syria have been established for decades. When Hui Liangyu visited Syria in 2009, he met President Bashar al-Assad. A statement from Assad to the Syrian people stated that China would work to improve mutually beneficial relations and partnership between the two countries in …

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US CENTCOM Forces Kill Senior Leader of al-Qaida-Linked Group in Airstrike in Syria

United States military forces killed a senior leader of a terror organization aligned with Al-Qaida. US Central Command forces targeted Abu Hamzah al Yemeni, a senior leader of Hurras al-Din in an airstrike in Idlib province in Syria on Monday, CENTCOM said in a statement. Abu Hamzah al Yemeni was …

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Islamic finance grows despite global economic turmoil

According to a recent report from Swiss banking group Lombard Odier that surveyed more than 300 high net worth investors in the Middle East, attention to Islamic investments is growing fast. The survey shows that 61% of the respondents say their interest in Islamic assets has increased during the last …

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Arab League weighs in on Nile dam dispute

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary general of the Cairo-based League of Arab States, criticized the way the international community has dealt with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis. Secretary General of the Cairo-based Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit recently criticized the way the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, has …

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Ankara forces companies to sell hard currency as circle tightens

The Turkish government’s latest loan restriction may help the embattled lira recover to some extent, but not without the risk of damaging side effects. Desperate against galloping inflation but bent on keeping interest rates low, Turkey’s government has turned to interventionist measures akin to capital controls to bolster the embattled …

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Israel awaits Biden message on Iran deal amidst political uncertainty

Israel’s political landscape will shift dramatically over the next few weeks, as the US president is set to visit. Yair Lapid is scheduled to take over from Naftali Bennett as Israeli prime minister next week under a complex job-sharing agreement. It’s an open question whether Lapid intends to maintain Bennett’s …

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Turkey lifts objection to Sweden, Finland joining NATO at last minute

Following the signing of a memorandum between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland, Erdogan lifted his veto against the Nordic expansion of NATO hours before the Madrid summit started. After a day of phone diplomacy, conflicting statements, and last-minute political posturing, Turkey has given the nod to NATO hopefuls Sweden and Finland …

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