Middle Orient

In the early hours of Nov. 7, three quadcopter drones armed with explosives detonated inside the grounds of the official residence of Iraq’s prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, injuring seven members of his security detail. Al-Kadhimi, who escaped with only light injuries, promptly released a statement appealing for calm. The question …

At its most recent meeting in Tajikistan this September, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) started a formal process to grant Iran full membership. This will be the second time the organisation expands after accepting India and Pakistan in 2017 — now extending its reach from Central and South Asia to …

The recent crisis in Bosnia has highlighted the adaptability – and limitations – of Turkish policy in the Balkans. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently hosted in Ankara Milorad Dodik, the Serbian member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, to discuss the political crisis in Bosnia triggered by Dodik’s threat to abandon …

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett are working to “resolve” the issue of the arrest in Turkey of an Israeli couple jailed for taking photographs of the president’s palace in Istanbul. Israeli tourists Mordy and Natali Oknin, who were detained on Thursday, say they did not …

The US military covered up airstrikes in eastern Syria next to the town of Baghuz during its campaign against the Islamic State in 2019 that killed over 60 women and children and up to 80 people total, the New York Times first reported on Saturday. The two airstrikes, ordered by …

Ethiopia’s government wants to buy Turkey’s drone, Bayraktar TB2, creating speculation about the Tigray war, Reuters reports. According to the report, Ethiopia wants to buy Bayraktar TB2 drones, after a military cooperation agreement was signed with Ankara. Last August, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, signed a military cooperation agreement on …

Libya will not participate in the Paris conference on Libya if the occupation state of Israel attends, Spokesperson for the National Unity Government (GNU) Mohamed Hammouda revealed earlier this week. “The government is steadfast in its position and the position of all Libyans and is committed to the Palestinian cause,” …

Regional realignment is storming ahead in the run-up to November 29, the date set for the resumption of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the global powers in Vienna. This is being driven by sudden, major regional developments. This includes the alleged actions by Iran’s proxies in Iraq, such as an …

Iraq has been rocked by several high-profile attacks and deadly clashes over the past seven days, including an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi on Sunday. A period marked by violence began on October 30, when rockets were fired into a residential area of the capital Baghdad near …

The November 6 drone strike on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s home represented a dramatic escalation of violence over the results of Iraq’s October 10 national election. The attack retaliated for the killing and wounding of pro-Iranian protesters by Iraqi security forces. The assassination attempt, likely approved by Iran, illustrates …