Middle Orient

CIA Director William Burns met with the new Israeli prime minister on Wednesday as talks to revive the landmark nuclear deal remained deadlocked. CIA Director William Burns and Israeli Prime Naftali Bennett met in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to discuss Iran amid increased tensions over the faltering nuclear deal talks …

Amir-Abdollahian previously served as Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has tapped conservative diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as his foreign minister, state media outlets reported on Wednesday. Following his expected approval by parliament, Amir-Abdollahian will replace Mohammad Javad Zarif, the US-educated architect of the …

Israel’s new envoy to the United States, Michael Herzog, is the only Israeli official to have participated in all diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Arab states over the past two decades and he knows Washington by heart. Israel’s designated ambassador to the United States is a leading expert on the …

An explosion at the Latakia port in Syria on Tuesday left an unidentified ship on fire, according to local reports, with some suggesting that the affected vessel had been used to transfer Iranian oil to Syria in the past. Smoke was seen billowing from a ship moored at Latakia port …

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid landed in Morocco Wednesday afternoon, for the highest-level visit by an Israeli official since the two countries normalized relations last year after nearly two decades. The countries have not, however, established full diplomatic ties. Lapid was greeted at the airport in Rabat by Morocco’s Deputy …

New Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi named Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as the nation’s next foreign minister on Wednesday, succeeding Javad Zarif. Mr Amir-Abdollahian served as Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs under conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and moderate Hassan Rouhani. He was appointed deputy foreign minister in 2011 under …

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein arrived in Iran on Tuesday to personally invite new President Ebrahim Raisi to a summit in Baghdad aimed at defusing regional tension. Mr Hussein was expected to extend the invitation on behalf of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi at a meeting with Mr Raisi …

Pentagon later said remarks by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dana Stroul ‘did not confirm Mercer Street UAV attack emanated from Yemen’ A senior U.S. official on Tuesday confirmed that the Iranian-orchestrated deadly attack on an Israeli-linked ship off the coast of Oman originated in Yemen. Deputy Assistant Secretary of …

Given the likely composition of the new administration, there seems no chance of Lebanon freeing itself any time soon from the dominance of Hezbollah and, in consequence, Iran. Lebanon has been without a government since the massive explosion of August 4, 2020, blew Beirut’s port apart and, with it, Lebanon’s …

Iran is at the top of CIA director Bill Burns’s agenda for his Israel visit as Iran nuclear deal negotiations continue to stall. CIA Director Bill Burns was set to arrive in Israel on Tuesday amid reports that the US is considering alternative ways to get Iran to stop advancing …