Middle Orient

Firebrand Cleric Scores Above Iran-Backed Militias In Recent Elections In Iraq – Analysis

A firebrand Shiite cleric and America’s old foe, Muqtada al-Sadr, has emerged as the strongest political leader in Iraq after his bloc garnered the highest number of seats in the general elections last week. He backed the Sairoon list of candidates who scored a total of 75 seats—20 more than …

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Syria Facing A Fourth Turkish Invasion? – Analysis

Turkish foreign policy in Syria can be summed up in a simple formula: Turkey, under its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is pursuing its goals with persistence and patience within the framework of a longer-term strategy. To this end, it has developed “salami tactics,” using negotiating skills, seesaw politics, pressure, and …

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Iran: Israel’s espionage in Azerbaijan ‘fully monitored’

Border Guard Commander in the Iranian Law Enforcement Force Brigadier-General Ahmed Ali Goudarzi confirmed that Israeli espionage in Azerbaijan is being “fully monitored”, Al Mayadeen reported on Friday. Goudarzi stressed that his country’s border, especially in the north and northwest: “Is safe, and there is nothing to worry about.” Speaking …

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The Huseynyun: Iran’s new IRGC-backed movement in Azerbaijan

The distinctive symbol of the clenched fist has become synonymous with various revolutionary, social and political movements across the world. The imagery of a fist clutching an assault rifle is commonly associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and supported armed movements in other countries, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, …

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Turkey’s spy bust escalates rivalry with Iran

Iran and Turkey are increasingly rivals in the Caucasus and in Iraq. The reported capture of Iranian spies in Turkey comes as the latest sign of the rivalry heating up between Ankara and Tehran, as bilateral tensions over Iraq and Syria have been steadily expanding to the Caucasus since last …

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Will Turkey’s opposition blow golden opportunity to beat Erdogan?

Opposition head Kemal Kilicdaroglu accuses Turkish government of “mafialike” activities. The leader of Turkey’s secular main opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, delivered an Oct. 18 deadline over the weekend to members of Turkey’s sprawling bureaucracy. They needed to stop engaging in illegal, “mafialike” activities. If they ignored his calls, they would not …

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Russia Is No Mideast Superpower

Washington Shouldn’t Overhype the Threat From Moscow The Russian Ministry of Defense pulled out all the stops for its annual arms expo outside Moscow in late August. For three days, defense ministers and dignitaries from 41 countries, including from the Middle East, were treated to exhibits of cutting-edge technology, live-fire …

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Lebanon August Trends

What happened? The parliament approved the formation of a new government led by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, ending a thirteen-month period during which Lebanon was governed by caretaker authorities. Separately, Hizbollah imported fuel directly from Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Why does it matter? The cabinet’s appointment ended an …

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Pro-Iran militias warn of forceful response after Israeli strike on Syria’s Palmyra

Iran-backed forces in Syria said on Thursday they would respond forcefully to an Israeli strike over Syria’s Palmyra area in the province of Homs on Wednesday evening in the second such strike within a week. The Syrian defence ministry said in a statement that one soldier was killed in the …

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ISIS financier arrested in al-Hol camp: coalition

“Recently, 2 terrorists were arrested including a Daesh (ISIS) financier.” The US-led coalition confirmed on Thursday that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out a successful anti-ISIS operation that resulted in the arrest of an ISIS financier in the notorious al-Hol camp. The official Twitter account of the US-led coalition …

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