Middle Orient

US flies B-1 bomber over Middle East amid tensions with Iran

The Pentagon is renewing show-of-strength flights over the Persian Gulf as the US waits for talks over Iran’s nuclear program to resume. The US flew a nuclear-capable B-1B bomber over major waterways of the Middle East, the Air Force said Sunday, in Washington’s latest show of force amid tensions and …

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Syrian jihadi group cracks down on last pocket of rivals in Idlib

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, is waging a war against the jihadi Jundallah group, which it sees as an extremist organization that exposes the Islamic State’s ideology and harbors jihadists that HTS is chasing. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Syria’s northwestern province of …

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Iran presumed behind attack on US outpost in eastern Syria

Drones that targeted US forces in the Syrian desert in late October were allegedly Iranian. US officials believe that Iran “resourced and encouraged” an October 20 attack on a military outpost housing US forces in the eastern Syrian desert which involved drones carrying explosive charges and “indirect fire,” possibly rockets. …

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Iraq’s elections weaken PKK in Sinjar

Iraq’s October elections may have strengthened the Iraqi Kurdistan administration’s hands in the Yazidi enclave of Sinjar. The ongoing power struggle between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP, the main political group ruling Iraqi Kurdistan) and armed Kurdish militants from Turkey over the Iraqi Yazidi enclave, Sinjar, has extended to the …

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Legal ambiguity becomes the norm in Erdogan’s Turkey

Recent comments by top Turkish officials promoting disregard for some laws has activists, opposition figures and journalists concerned that they alone will be the ones subject to restrictions and regulations, with AKP supporters given leeway. On Oct. 26, Turkish Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu gave a speech addressing Turkey’s female …

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Bulgaria deploys 350 troops to stop Syria, Afghan migrants from entering

Bulgaria has deployed 350 troops and military equipment to strengthen controls along its borders with Turkey and Greece to prevent migrant inflows, Reuters reported the Ministry of Defence saying today. European Union member Bulgaria, which borders Turkey and Greece to the south, has experienced a gradual rise in migrant arrivals …

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SDF handing east Euphrates to Russian and regime forces | Worries prevails Deir Ezzor countryside

Deir Ezzor province: SDF-held areas in Deir Ezzor province experience worries among the population in light of the escalated media coverage by the Turkish side and its proxies over an anticipated military operation on east Euphrates region. According to SOHR activists in the region, people are more concerned about the …

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Renewed clashes | Opposition factions and regime forces trade fire in west Aleppo, while regime forces bombard Jabal al-Zawiyah

SOHR activists in the “de-escalation zone” have reported renewed heavy bombardment, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, on the frontlines of Miznaz and Kafrnouran in western Aleppo between opposition factions on one hand and the regime forces and their proxy faction on the other. Meanwhile, regime factions have bombarded …

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Military maneuver in north-east Syria three days on | Russian forces prepare to start new military exercises in Ain al-Arab (Kobani)

SOHR activists have reported that Russian air and ground forces will start military maneuvers in Ain al-Arab (Kobani) countryside today, particularly in Abou Sourah and Sareen regions. It is worth noting that one fighter jet and two helicopters will take part in the maneuvers. Yesterday, SOHR activists reported seeing Russian …

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Pence endorses controversial Iranian opposition group

Former US Vice President Mike Pence spoke at event held by Mujahedeen-e Khalq, which is widely described as a cult. Another prominent American politician has come out in support of the controversial Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e Khalq, aka MEK. Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a summit of the …

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