Middle Orient

A Russian military expert said that the U.S. cannot destroy the air defense system of Russia, noting it successfully shot down U.S. cruise missiles in Syria in 2018, according to al-Watan. The U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced yesterday that the United States will use all available means to …

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Syria’s Idlib province, is using women’s organizations and institutes to tighten its grip on civil society and expand its public base, despite its multiple violations against women. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is working to extend its influence on civil society in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, …

All eyes are on next week’s Glasgow summit as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to talk F-35s and F-16s with US President Joe Biden. Pentagon officials met with representatives of Turkey’s Defense Ministry in Ankara Oct. 27 in a bid to resolve the two NATO allies’ dispute over Turkey’s …

The Treasury Department issued fresh sanctions on Friday targeting individuals and companies the United States says are supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ drone program. The Biden administration sanctioned several Iranian companies and individuals on Friday in connection with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ drone program, including an Iranian commander …

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 18 months ago at Mariinsky Palace on a hilly bank of the Dnipro River, he saluted the honor guard with the traditional slogan Slava Ukraini! (“Glory to Ukraine!”). The honor guard returned the customary reply in seconds: “Glory to …

Lebanon’s Shi’ite group Hezbollah condemned on Thursday Saudi Arabia’s decision to designate the financial charity body Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association as a terrorist entity, calling it a form of aggression against Lebanon and interference in its internal affairs. “This rejected decision will not affect the work of this humanitarian institution, which …

The Arab word’s a veritable mess. The cosmic leadership deficit, the absence of legitimate institutions, the lack of transparency, disrespect for human rights, abysmal regard for gender equality, and too much conspiratorial thinking make it impossible to come to terms with the magnitude of the problems. In short, this region …

The Islamic State continues to operate in Iraq despite losing its territory there years ago. The Islamic State conducted a deadly attack in Iraq late last night. The shooting occurred in the Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, in the village of Al-Rashad. Twelve civilians were killed and at least 15 …

The Iraqi government is seeking to prevent both further attacks by the terrorist group and outbreaks of sectarian violence. A group of Islamic State militants carried out an attack in the village of al-Rashad in Diyala province early on Oct. 26, killing 15 people and wounding 30. Prior to the …

Recent geopolitical changes in the region are reducing Israel’s ability to act against the Iranian presence in Syria. An unnamed Israeli security source told public broadcaster Kan on Oct. 25 that the air force will soon have to decide whether to act against the Syrian air defense system, in order …