Middle Orient

After 40 years, Syria once again has dual military rule, where the president and his brother are the highest authorities. In the early 1980s, Rifaat al-Assad, the brother of Hafez al-Assad, was the commander of the Defense Companies and the strong man in Syria in the military, security, and even …

The ongoing (and largely overblown) controversy over the decision by congressional progressives to block the inclusion of $1 billion in additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, over and above the $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid Israel already receives, has exposed ruptures within the Democratic Party as …

In mid-March, Turkey and Egypt confirmed they’d had their first diplomatic contact since breaking off relations in 2013. Though the talks were described by Egyptian sources as preliminary, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying, “Contacts at the diplomatic level have started.” The thaw comes after a decade …

Saudi Arabia and Greece signed a missile deal earlier this year and are both allies of the UAE and Egypt. Saudi soldiers arrived in Greece on Tuesday for a joint training exercise with their Greek counterparts. Paratrooper units and special security forces from the Royal Saudi Land Forces participated in …

IS group launched attacks in the Syrian Desert region over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of several Syrian regime militia fighters, according to al-Araby al-Jadeed. The Islamic State (IS) group launched attacks in the Syrian Desert region over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of several Syrian regime militia …

A drone targeted a car at the entrance to the city of Binnish in the Idleb countryside amidst rumors of “the assassination of leaders of the Guardians of Religion Organization.” On Monday, an Al-Souria Net correspondent in Idleb reported that military surveillance “monitored a reconnaissance flight coinciding with the drone …

CENTCOM fired a drone missile at at least one jihadi official near Idlib today in the first such strike in recent months. The United States military targeted an al-Qaeda official with a drone strike in northwest Syria on Monday, the Pentagon said. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters the …

Saudi Arabia and Greece signed a missile deal earlier this year and are both allies of the UAE and Egypt. Saudi soldiers arrived in Greece on Tuesday for a joint training exercise with their Greek counterparts. Paratrooper units and special security forces from the Royal Saudi Land Forces participated in …

As attacks believed to be by Iran-linked armed groups continue amid questions over how long US forces will retain a presence in Iraq, Sunni Arabs are again seeking safety in the Kurdistan Region of the country. A Sept. 11 drone attack on Erbil International Airport, which flanks an air base …

The Syrian opposition is getting ready for a possible attack by Syrian government forces in Idlib, following increasingly intense bombing and reconnaissance attacks since the beginning of September. The Syrian opposition fears renewed battles in the northwestern province of Idlib, amid escalating tension between Turkey and Russia, which has been …