Middle Orient

At its height half a decade ago, the Islamic State was among the most feared armed organizations in the world. The infamously brutal group had at one point captured and established governance of more than a third of Iraq and large swaths of Syria. But that shocking, sudden rise to …

A series of deadly explosions in Abu Dhabi, the normally placid capital of the United Arab Emirates, has created a strategic quandary for the UAE government. Its leaders are in the midst of a major diplomatic reinvention, seeking to develop good relations with all of their regional neighbors, including, notably, …

In a little more than a month, on Dec. 24, Libyan voters will go to the polls to elect a new president, and after a decadelong civil war it is probably stating the obvious to say that they face tough choices. Among the candidates they can vote for are Gen. …

Negotiations to form a new government in Iraq have entered a final, decisive phase, with the process shaping up to be a dispiriting contest among several factions that unfortunately share broadly similar authoritarian characteristics. The disputes over power-sharing arrangements and government positions are complicated, and the final lineup is still …

No matter what anyone says, Turkey is determined to root out terrorist organizations that threaten the security, peace and stability of the country and the region, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday. Speaking to reporters on his way back from Ukraine where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Erdoğan …

Analysts say drone strikes intended to put the UAE on notice for its involvement in Yemen and normalisation of ties with Israel. The drone attack by a little-known armed group in Iraq on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week has raised questions about Baghdad’s involvement in regional tensions between …

US President Joe Biden surprised the world last week by announcing the death of the leader of Daesh, Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, who had led the terrorist group since the killing of his predecessor, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, in a US raid in 2019. According to the president, Iraqi national Al-Qurashi …

Several Russian warships have arrived in Tartus in western Syria, and this could affect a potential conflict with NATO over Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense said Friday that six landing ships arrived in the port of Tartus in western Syria, located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Syria’s official news …

Jerusalem seems unconvinced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sincerely wants to improve bilateral relations. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said today that his country and Israel may work together on exporting Israeli natural gas to Europe. “We can use Israeli natural gas in our country, and beyond using it, we …

Relations between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan underwent acute conflict and tension in September–October 2021. However, since mid-October, the two countries have endeavored to manage the frictions and reduce the disagreements in their relationship. Recently, on January 26, 2022, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov visited Tehran and met with …