Middle Orient

The pre-dawn raid Thursday by U.S. special operations forces in northeastern Syria was designed to capture the leader of the Islamic State group, who instead blew himself up along with members of his family rather than be taken alive, top Pentagon officials said. Elite American troops spent months planning and …

US/Russia Diplomatic row between Moscow and Washington over Russian military build-up in Ukraine and European security more broadly escalated. As U.S. and Russia continued negotiations during month, notably in swiss city Geneva 10 Jan, Moscow continued to demand legally binding guarantees from U.S. and NATO against Ukraine’s accession to NATO …

Unfortunately for the inveterate peace-processors and their followers, the Arab world has moved on from their own opposition to Israel. They see the country for what it is: a source of stability and prosperity in the region. They understand the dangers of continuing Palestinian intransigence and animosity and have denied …

Lebanon will be “another Iran-dominated, corruption-riddled failed state” if critical steps are not taken soon to end government corruption in the country, tackle the economic challenges it is facing and address the “crippling” issue of Hezbollah’s violence. This is the conclusion of a report published on Tuesday by two leading …

Though direct talks with the United States remain a non-starter, Tehran’s top nuclear negotiator has shared some hope with Iranian lawmakers. Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani spoke Feb. 1 at a session of the parliament’s powerful National Security and Foreign Policy Commission at which he answered questions about …

With its president set to visit Ukraine, Turkey has reassured Russia by reiterating its commitment for a key maritime treaty safeguarding Russia’s rights in the Black Sea. Just days before Turkey’s president is set to visit Ukraine, Ankara has reassured Moscow with a rare public display of support to a …

Iraq’s outgoing Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mustafa Kadhimi, continues to ensure the country’s security by launching a campaign against ISIS remnants. ISIS and all armed organizations and factions are taking advantage of the intense political rivalry between blocs and parties. However, the Prime Minister maintained all …

The United Arab Emirates on Monday intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants as Israeli President Isaac Herzog was visiting — the third attack this month. The Middle Eastern country’s state-run media said the “attack did not result in any losses, as the remnants of the ballistic …

The recent death of five army troops in the Sinai Peninsula is giving rise to fears from a possible revival of the local Islamic State branch, given growing IS activities in other countries. Local security analysts warn against a possible resurgence by the Islamic State (IS) in the Sinai Peninsula, …

There is potential Doha could play a role in brokering a US-Iran prisoner exchanging following press reports of Iran-Qatar talks on the topic. President Joe Biden met Monday with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, following reports that Iran asked for the Persian Gulf country’s help …