Middle Orient

The IDF says that “surface-to-air missile fire was identified from Syria, which landed in the Negev area. In response,the IDF struck the battery, from which the missile was launched, and additional Syrian surface-to-air batteries in the area.”Reports online say the missile was an S-200, also known as an SA-5. This …

Much remains unclear about the incident on April 22, including why Syria fired a missile so wildly and so far south into Israel – and whether Israel’s interceptors failed to stop the threat. A sleepless night on Thursday morning left many in Israel wondering what sirens at two in the …

SA-5 flies from Syria all the way to Negev in the longest-range attack yet by Syria; Patriot missile activated in response. Israel and Syria exchanged missile attacks early on Thursday morning, after Damascus launched an advanced surface-to-air missile that landed in the Negev Desert. Alarms sounded in Abu Qrenat near …

Syrian dictator Bashar Assad was sued on Tuesday for using chemical weapons against his own countrymen during Syria’s long-running civil war. Four NGOs in Sweden filed the criminal complaint against the Russian-backed strongman and his Damascus cohorts, expressing hope that an “investigation into these crimes will eventually result in trials …

Russia briefly withdrew its forces and its military equipment from two bases in Tal Rifaat, only to return to them in the wake of understandings with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that control the area and fear the advances of the Turkish-backed opposition. Russian forces withdrew April 13 from two …

The pro-government National Defense Forces fired on Kurdish Asayesh forces at a checkpoint in Qamishli, according to Kurdish sources. Clashes broke out in northeast Syria last night between Kurdish and government forces. The violence began in the Qamishli neighborhood of Tayy. The pro-government militia the National Defense Forces attacked a …

No clear results yet, said Tehran’s ambassador in Baghdad after reports of Saudi-Iran dialogue. Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad said on Tuesday his government welcomes Iraq’s efforts to mediate relations with Arab Gulf states. “The Islamic Republic supports Baghdad’s mediation to bring Tehran closer to countries with which we have faced …

On April 7, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Biden Administration’s plan to resume various forms of aid to the Palestinians that had been discontinued under the Trump Administration. Separately in March, the Biden Administration allocated $15 million in International Disaster Assistance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response …

Concerned that Turkey is stealing a move on it after Azerbaijan’s victory in the latest round of Qarabagh fighting, Iran has become significantly more active on the diplomatic, economic and even security fronts in the Caucasus and Central Asia over the last four months. Several weeks ago, Iran and Tajikistan …

In a pair of midnight decrees Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan over an alleged nepotism scandal and began a long-rumored cabinet reshuffle. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Recep Erdogan began a long-rumored cabinet reshuffle Wednesday, dismissing two ministers and appointing three, with more high-level appointments …