Middle Orient

Islamic State kills Iraqi forces in sparsely populated Anbar desert

Attacks and unexploded ordnance continue to reap victims in Iraq’s vast western desert as security officials deny increased risks associated with a massive recent jailbreak across the border. The deaths of several soldiers in the western Anbar desert and attacks further south in the same province have drawn attention to …

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The Price of Retrenchment

What the Ukraine Crisis Reveals About the Post-American Middle East As Russian troop maneuvers on Ukraine’s borders suggest an imminent invasion, U.S. President Joe Biden is doing his best to rally the international community in opposition. His administration has done a creditable job of lining up European countries; after some …

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Jordanians turn to cryptocurrency despite ban

Despite the risk in the cryptocurrency trading market, it remains largely unregulated in Jordan, where thousands have invested amid lack of job opportunities. Ahmed al-Hindi, a young Jordanian, spends hours in the evening trading cryptocurrencies. Hindi works in accounting and has been trading in cryptocurrencies since 2017. He aspires to …

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Iran in ‘hurry’ to reach nuclear agreement, says foreign minister

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on the West to stop “playing with time” in Vienna. Iran called for the quick resurrection of the landmark nuclear deal in Vienna, accusing the United States and other Western powers of “playing with time” and failing to make necessary concessions. “If an agreement …

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If Israel strikes Iran, what happens next?

Nuclear deal talks are entering into their final stage in Vienna. As negotiations between the world powers and Iran in Vienna continue and reportedly enter their “final stage,” many in the Middle East – but also in Washington and European capitals – hold their breath to see if a return …

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Russia-Ukraine is important, but Iran is greater danger – Lindsey Graham

‘I guarantee you the Jewish people can’t live with a nuclear Iran. One Holocaust was enough,’ US senator tells reporters. Stopping a nuclear Iran is the world’s most pressing issue today, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said Monday in Jerusalem. Russia seemingly being on the cusp of invading Ukraine and …

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Israel’s Herzog leads rapprochement with Turkey

Jerusalem is well aware that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a long list of own interests behind his rapprochement campaign. Israeli diplomats are dubious but pleased at the burgeoning romance between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Erdogan is not very popular in Israel, to …

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Turkey rethinks Libya policy

Libya’s rekindled power struggle has left Turkey in an ambivalent position and might force it to review its alliances. Libya’s interim prime minister, a close ally of Turkey, has been rejected by parliament in a rekindled power struggle in the war-torn country. But his replacement is no stranger to Ankara …

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Erdogan on UAE visit to end isolation, secure funding

The Turkish president seeks to bolster Turkey’s ties to the Arab world. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Monday in a fence-mending visit that is part of Ankara’s broader strategy of ending its regional isolation and drawing Gulf funding to its battered economy. Erdogan …

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US-allied Syria Kurdish commander warns of growing IS threat

The Islamic State group is a growing threat in northeastern Syria despite the killing of its leader in a U.S. commando operation last week, says the chief commander of the U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish-led force. Mazloum Abdi, who heads the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, warned that IS fighters are still very …

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