Middle Orient

Reports in Israel say the government has set up an interministerial team to ‘look into’ the export of Israeli-made Pegasus software and allegation over its abuse against politicians and journalists worldwide. Israel has not yet established a formal inquiry committee into the NSO Group affair, but the government has set …

Unless he is playing a game of brinkmanship to force the Greek Cypriots into a settlement, Erdogan’s tough moves in the Cyprus conflict are raising the specter of Turkey’s eventual annexation of Northern Cyprus. Having exhausted the yields of his Syrian, Libyan and Eastern Mediterranean ventures, Turkish President Recep Tayyip …

The United States and Turkey reached an agreement under which Turkey is to secure Kabul’s airport after the withdrawal of all American and NATO allied troops from Afghanistan by the end of August, 2021. This prompted a vigorous condemnation from the Taliban including the threat of Jihad: “We consider stay …

Five years after a group in the military tried to overthrow President Erdogan’s government, democracy and rule of law are in decline – as is the economy – while the young flee the country. Five years ago, a coup attempt was stopped by loyalist soldiers and ordinary people in Turkey. …

Syria accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike in a central province early on Thursday, the second such attack this week. The aerial attack caused material damage, it said. The country’s state news agency quoted an unidentified Syrian military official as saying the air defense systems shot down most of …

Iran Thursday began exporting crude oil for the first time in the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the strategic Strait of Hormuz. During a ceremony marking the inauguration of the project, President Hassan Rouhani called the plan “strategic.” Iranian state media described the move as an indication that sanctions imposed by …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday the most recent disagreement between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus had made the relationship more difficult and patience was required to settle differences. “This has been a setback but we should not be discouraged,” she said. Turkey and EU member state Greece are …

Israeli jets have again struck at Syrian military depots according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict. The Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported the strike but said the Syrian missile defense system deflected the bulk of the attack, intercepting “most” of the Israeli weapons …

Turkey is going ahead with its plans to take over security at the Kabul international airport after the pullout of U.S. troops, despite opposition from the Taliban. Ankara is in negotiations with Washington to secure the airport, which analysts say is key to maintaining stability and an international presence in …

Russia’s new single-engine fighter Checkmate, the prototype of which was presented at the MAKS-2021 air show in the Moscow region, may be in demand in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia, Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Director Dmitry Shugayev said. “The Middle East may be highly interested, …