Middle Orient

Iranian drones targeting Saudi Arabia fly over Bahraini airspace, the Israeli envoy to Manama said yesterday. Itay Tagner told the US’ Axios that Iran had opened a “front against us in Syria and Lebanon, but now when they look across the Gulf, they see us there with our allies very …

Satellite images appear to show the UAE has opened an air bridge to provide the Ethiopian government military support in its fight against oppositionists in Tigray, Al Jazeera reported yesterday. More than 90 flights were found to have travelled between the Emirates and Ethiopia between September and November this year, …

While they fear what might come next, leaders across the Gulf are begrudgingly backing the resumption of talks on reviving the JCPOA. Talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal are set to resume in Vienna this week after a six-month hiatus. Negotiating teams from Iran and the five permanent members …

The parties to the world’s nuclear deal with Iran, including Iran itself, have started a new round of discussions – the seventh since April 2021, when newly elected US president Joe Biden initiated meetings aimed at America re-entering an updated agreement. The talks – if you can call a meeting …

Ten people were killed and one person was injured in an attack on a bus carrying workers in an oil field in Syria’s government-held areas, Syria’s state news agency reported Thursday. No details were offered of the nature of the attack or who was behind it. The news agency SANA …

In the presence of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed Al Nahyane, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Vice-Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, signed a historical contract with Tareq …

The Islamic State has attacked the security forces in Iraqi Kurdistan in recent days. The Islamic State (IS) attacked Kurdistan Region forces and civilians in northern Iraq today, according to local media. IS fighters fired rocket-propelled grenades at villages in the town of Makhmour. There were casualties among members of …

A special committee implicates militias in causing violent clashes on Nov. 5 A committee charged with investigating violence between Iraqi security forces and pro-militia demonstrators released its report Dec. 1 on the Nov. 5 clashes that occurred as demonstrators protested election results. The committee was formed by Prime Minister Mustafa …

In order to break the political deadlock resulting from Iraq’s recent elections, Shiite leaders gathered to find a solution to forming the next government. Leaders of Shiite political parties gathered in Baghdad at the home of Fatah Alliance leader Hadi al-Amiri on Dec. 2 to discuss solutions to the country’s …

Iran’s sharp rebuke followed reports that Israel had shared intelligence with Western partners alleging that Iran’s nuclear enrichment has nearly reached weapons-producing levels. The “Israeli regime … is trumpeting lies to poison Vienna talks,” tweeted Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh on the eve of the fourth day of nuclear …