Middle Orient

Anonymous sources in Damascus confirmed to the Nedaa Post website that the office of the Supreme Leader’s representative in Damascus is following efforts to win the loyalty of Arab clans “with great interest.” These efforts are taken place especially in parts of eastern and northeastern Syria. Nedaa Post verified information …

Iran is extending its influence in Aleppo, by building an ‘Iranian belt’ in the city similar to Beirut’s southern suburb, according to Nedaa Post. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Council (IRGC), through its direct subsidiaries, is working on a project to rehabilitate administrative areas in eastern Aleppo neighborhoods. The objective of …

A car bomb wounded at least seven people in the Turkish-held northern town of Azaz on Monday, the rescue Civil Defence group said. The YPG-suspected attack has occurred in the town centre. Areas of northern Syria held by Turkish forces and allied Syrian opposition forces are regularly rocked by such …

The foreign minister of Algeria claimed that his country supports the return of Syria to the Arab League, a central issue for its next meeting, according to SANA. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Algeria, Ramtane Lamamra, has affirmed that his country supports the return of Syria …

Excerpts from a speech by Abdul Hakim Bashar, head of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria, in which he talks about the recent developments in Afghanistan. n view of the horror of recent tragic developments in Afghanistan, there are a few lessons that we as Syrians should learn from the …

Pakistan hopes to work with Iran in all areas to further strengthen bilateral ties, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said while speaking to the president of Iran, Seyed Ibrahim Raisi, in Tehran on Friday. According to a statement issued by Pakistan foreign ministry, Qureshi briefed Raisi on the ongoing …

The Syrian Observer sits with Kheder Khaddour, a researcher at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, focusing on local identities in the Levant and particularly in Syria, to discuss decentralization. Calls for decentralization in Syria have multiplied recently. While the Syrian Democratic Council referred to it as a …

Syrian regime forces shelled Daraa on Thursday as disagreements between the local negotiation committee and residents caused the truce to collapse. Syrian regime forces launched a flurry of rockets and artillery at the southern city of Daraa Al-Balad and surrounding towns on Thursday, as a deal to end a two-month …

While the Turkish opposition has been using public unhappiness over rising numbers of refugees from Afghanistan and other countries to challenge President Erdogan’s government, xenophobic violence has also been increasing. “Border equals honour” was the slogan on a huge banner that was hung from the façade of the headquarters of …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reception of the UAE national security adviser has raised the prospect of a reset in acrimonious bilateral ties. While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with a senior Emirati official last week was a significant step toward thawing Turkey’s multifaceted feud with the United Arab Emirates …