Middle Orient

Barnea approved by A-G; was nominated by Netanyahu in December; Gantz cut out of the process Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on Monday announced that he had cleared the way for David Barnea, the Mossad’s current deputy chief, to succeed Yossi Cohen as head of the famed spy agency. A few months …

Speaking to the press in Jerusalem alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US supports Israel’s right to self-defense and will also be heavily involved in and committed to rebuilding Gaza after the latest round of fighting — and to seeking a political solution …

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Safadi arrived aboard a Jordanian helicopter and started talks with Abbas upon arrival, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter. Earlier Tuesday, Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the …

The former president is remembered fondly by some Iranians for his populism and for offering loan programs. He was often portrayed as a modest ‘Mr. Clean’ but this is disputed by others. A decade ago, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared to be the nemesis of Israel. His questioning of the …

The comments made by Esmail Ghaani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, praised death and martyrdom and said fighters welcome death with ‘longing and passion.’ The recent war against Israel “destroyed the pride of the Zionist army,” Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Esmail Ghaani …

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 …

The IDF had confiscated the items in the days leading up to the 11-day IDF-Hamas war, which began on May 10. Defense Minister Benny Gantz issued five military seizure orders against items Hamas had attempted to smuggle in and out of Gaza for its military wing, as the two Israeli …

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 …

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, …

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 …