Middle Orient

Egypt seeks to strengthen its ties with Burundi and the Nile Basin countries in a bid to curb Turkey’s expansion in East Africa, to protect its national security from any threats. As a foreign policy priority for Cairo, Egypt seeks to strengthen its ties with Burundi and the Nile Basin …

Gen. Kenneth “‘Frank” McKenzie warned Iran in the boldest statement yet from the Biden administration over the attacks. The top commander of US military forces in the Middle East issued a subtle but unmistakable warning to Iran today over recent projectile attacks on Iraq’s Kurdistan region and Saudi Arabia. CENTCOM …

The two countries are set for renewed talks over Aegean maritime zones in early March. Turkey accused Greece’s air force of harassing a Turkish research ship in the Aegean Sea this week ahead of renewed talks over the two countries’ ongoing maritime dispute. Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Greek F-16s approached …

Turkey’s government goes on the defensive as the main opposition presses for answers on how the central bank ended up with negative reserves. Turkey’s main opposition has mounted an emphatic campaign calling the government to account on why the central bank burnt through $128 billion in foreign reserves in “back-door” …

Human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni described a German court’s decision to jail a former intelligence officer from the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria for four-and-a-half years in jail as historic. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Bunni said that the officer who was convicted for complicity in crimes against humanity still enjoys …

The Iranian city of Saravan is reeling after security forces shot several unemployed locals who earn a living by trading untaxed fuel across the Pakistani border. Chaotic scenes and furious protests rocked the city of Saravan, in Iran’s impoverished southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Feb. 23. Videos inundated social media showing …

The high-profile, Iran-backed militia denied responsibility for attacks on US targets in Iraq. Kataib Hezbollah, one of the largest Iran-backed militias in Iraq, publicly denied any involvement in a recent rocket strike on Erbil International Airport and Baghdad’s Green Zone. “We absolutely did not target Erbil or the Green Zone …

The report said US policy is outdated and has not led to security in the region. A leading American think tank has released a report urging the US government to prioritize development and good governance in the Middle East over security. The RAND Corporation report says the United States needs …

As Erdogan teeters between the West and the Russia-China axis, it will be his goal of securing his political future at home that determines which direction he takes. In a span of five days last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered two diametrically opposed messages to Washington, highlighting his …

A Pentagon official urged Ankara to take action over its Russian-made S-400 missile acquisition after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed interest in restoring bilateral ties. As the Turkish government attempts to recalibrate relations with the new US administration under President Joe Biden, its acquisition of Russian-made S-400 missile defense …