Middle Orient

Airstrikes on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border near Qaim conducted by the United States were followed by retaliatory strikes by Iran-linked groups against a Kurdish-led SDF base housing coalition forces in eastern Syria. On June 29, four coffins draped in the Iraqi flag were carried through central Baghdad streets …

An official from an Iran-backed militia in Iraq accused the Kurdistan Regional Government of allowing the United States to launch bombing runs from Erbil. The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq has denied claims that US warplanes took off from its capital Erbil to bomb Iran-backed militias in the country. Early …

As the JCPOA parties prepare for a return to the seventh round of nuclear talks, incoming hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi might actually welcome a done deal before taking office. Ebrahim Raisi’s election to the Iranian presidency has raised significant concern about the future direction of Iran’s domestic and foreign …

“We are starting to get used to making history,” Lapid quipped, noting that he had inaugurated the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi the day before. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid inaugurated Israel’s Consulate in Dubai on Wednesday, on the second day of the first trip to the United Arab Emirates by …

PA’s Mahmoud Abbas met with Jordan’s King Abdullah, where he expressed his support for the solution. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday made a surprise visit to Amman, where he met with Jordan’s King Abdullah. The visit is to be seen in the context of coordination between the PA …

Revelations that Khashoggi’s killers were trained by a private security contractor in the States have raised some uncomfortable questions. Four of the 15 Saudis involved in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi received training in the United States, according to the New York Times. The story highlights the depth …

Last week’s DOJ dragnet included Shiite religious websites, even ones at odds with Tehran’s regime. There is no love lost between Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi and the Iranian government. In 2018, authorities arrested the dissident cleric’s son for calling Iran’s supreme leader a tyrannical pharaoh. Soon after, Shirazi’s followers stormed the …

There are concerns about the Islamic State’s ability to still operate within and close to Turkish territory. Turkish police arrested 26 people on Monday for allegedly being linked to the Islamic State (IS). Police intelligence identified 30 suspects in the capital Ankara, including 28 Iraqi citizens and two Syrians. They …

The Syrian Democratic Forces are holding an estimated 10,000 suspected Islamic State fighters, a situation Secretary of State Antony Blinken said is “untenable.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on US allies Monday to take responsibility for their citizens suspected of joining the Islamic State and who remain in …

The election of Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran reflects a more revolutionary turn under the direction of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Nothing came unexpectedly in the Iranian presidential race. While Ebrahim Raisi’s election was a done deal, the only questions were about the size of voter turnout …