Middle Orient

Iran thinks Hamas ‘victory’ will lead to new attack on Israel

Iran helped push the war with Gaza but was concerned that Hamas and its other proxies would lose badly. Instead, they perceive a surprising victory. The fuse lit by Hamas will become the “fire” for a new operation in the future, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency. The report, reflecting …

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Biden administration poised to ax US oil company’s waiver for Kurdish-led northeast Syria

The decision to withdraw the waiver to produce and sell oil in Syria has been presented by administration officials as a policy correction, not a shift. The Biden administration has decided to not extend a sanctions waiver granted by the Trump administration in April 2020 to a little-known American oil …

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IDF: Keep aid money to Gaza out of Hamas hands

Following latest round of fighting, IDF chief Kochavi advises government to funnel humanitarian funds through Palestinian Authority to prevent Gaza’s terror groups from using it to rebuild military capabilities IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said that rather than allowing foreign aid to be funneled directly through Hamas, …

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Why Egypt is lending its support to the Palestinians

Egypt’s support for the Palestinians in the latest conflict — in which Cairo helped broker a cease-fire — has drawn attention among observers who see it as a policy shift. Egypt has successfully brokered a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, effectively ending 11 days of hostilities that have killed hundreds …

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Erdogan in hot spot as Turks question ‘mafiazation’ of politics

Erdogan risks a major political setback unless he manages to contain an unprecedented scandal sparked by a mobster claiming close links with government figures. A Turkish mobster who until recently organized rallies in support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and enjoyed favor with pro-government circles has been rattling Turkey since …

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Israel-Hamas conflict exposes Turkey’s irrelevance in region

Turkey’s apparent exclusion from cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas shows President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s foreign policy is in tatters. The fighting that began May 10 between Israel and Hamas stopped by a cease-fire brokered mainly by Egypt following the pressures of US President Joe Biden on the backstage. By …

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US pledges additional support for Lebanon’s army amid financial collapse

Lebanon’s armed forces are to receive an additional $15 million in US aid. Washington is moving to bolster Lebanon’s armed forces as the country faces economic collapse and an increasingly intractable political crisis. The US on Friday announced an additional $15 million in aid to Lebanon’s military for 2021 following …

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How India lost its way in Persian Gulf

“India gets booted out, by Iran, of Farzad-B gas field in Persian Gulf… India’s ONGC Videsh Ltd had discovered it way back in 2008.” India began to identify itself with the countries of the anti-Iran regional front that the former US President Donald Trump was sponsoring, involving Israel, Saudi Arabia …

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How Long Will a Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hamas Last?

The current Israel-Gaza fighting is expected to end in the coming days but experts predict another can be expected in a few years without a radical change in policy More than a week has passed since Hamas fired seven long-range missiles toward Jerusalem, and the fighting between Israel and terror …

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