Middle Orient

The Iranian regime announced new Artesh appointments on December 17 as part of a broader reshuffling of senior Iranian military leadership following the Israel-Iran War.[i] Artesh Commander Major General Amir Hatami appointed Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi Fard as his assistant for air defense affairs.[ii] Alireza Sabahi Fard most recently served …

Individuals and organisations linked to violence against civilians throughout Syria are today sanctioned by the UK as it continues to pursue those responsible for violence against the Syrian people. Foreign Secretary announces sanctions against organisations and individuals involved in violence against civilians. UK Government targets individuals involved in the coastal …

For Syrians on both sides of the divide, life has changed immeasurably since Israel began expanding its occupation of the Golan Heights Majdal Shams/Beit Jinn – There are no Syrian flags anymore in the main square of Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, nor were there …

A year on from the ceasefire, displaced civilians in south Lebanon continue to live under near-daily Israeli airstrikes, drones, and military occupation South Lebanon – Ali Hammoud looked worn out, staring blankly at the little fire and the pot of boiling vegetables that would soon be his dinner. There is …

Reuters reported that Syrian, Kurdish, and American officials are racing against time to show progress, even if limited, on the March 10 agreement before the end of the year. The agency quoted several Syrian, Kurdish, and Western sources, involved in or briefed on the talks, as saying that negotiations had …

Latest Developments Netanyahu Announces Massive Gas Deal: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the signing of a gas deal with Egypt on December 17 valued at approximately $35 billion. Hailing the agreement as the “largest gas deal in Israel’s history,” Netanyahu asserted that the “deal greatly strengthens Israel’s status as …

The Arab world was already badly divided when recent wars and military conflicts broke out between state actors and between them and nonstate actors in 2023. But paradoxically, these tremors have created conditions that led to almost unprecedented coordination and diplomatic activism among key Arab states, along with a willingness …

US and Jordanian forces have launched an operation against ISIS in Syria, killing at least five members of the extremist group including a cell leader, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday. The US strikes overnight on Friday were a response to an attack in Palmyra last …

Syria has seized drones and explosives from a suspected ISIS hideout in Damascus, in a swoop it said “confirms” it is capable of fighting extremists. The raid, in which a suspected member of ISIS was arrested, was one of two against the group announced in the space of 24 hours. …

Latest Developments Erdogan Accuses Israel of Seeking ‘Fragmentation’ of Syria: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labeled Israel the “primary obstacle” to a stable Syria on December 16, pledging that Ankara would continue to support the Ahmed al-Sharaa-led government responsible for ousting former dictator Bashar al-Assad from power in late 2024. …