Middle Orient

Israeli and US intelligence officials reportedly confirm Mossad involvement in apparent cyberattack on uranium enrichment facility, which Tehran calls an act of ‘nuclear terrorism’ The major power cut at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, which Tehran described as an act of “nuclear terrorism,” caused significant damage to the centrifuges and set …

Nuclear official claims enrichment ongoing; Tehran claims person behind attack identified; FM Zarif says damage to centrifuges will lead to installation of more advanced versions Iran’s foreign minister on Monday blamed Israel for a power failure that reportedly caused massive damage to the Natanz nuclear facility, vowing to “take revenge …

IDF intelligence suffering because of the move from North to South. Only 22% of the IDF has any protection from drone attacks, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said in a report on Monday. Covering the time period of October 2019 – June 2020, the report fleshes out in grim numbers and …

At the time the operation was planned, it was still unclear exactly when and if the US and Iran would return to serious negotiations regarding a return to the 2015 nuclear deal. The strike on Iran’s key Natanz nuclear facility was prepared long before the ongoing Vienna nuclear talks between …

Syria has been labeled one of the worst countries in the world in terms of the number of mines planted since the war broke out in 2011, with more than 12,000 killed in mine and explosive accidents. Syria has become one of the worst countries in the world in terms …

The second attack on a nuclear facility in five months has prompted calls for Iran to quit talks on reviving the nuclear deal. After another attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, hard-liners in Iran have called for ending the negotiations in Vienna on the United States’ reentry to the 2015 …

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, is close to ending the presence of al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din, after arresting one of its top active commanders and closing its military facilities in the area. Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hurras al-Din (Guardians of Religion Organization) in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib …

A recent decision to nullify a parliamentary vote and ongoing targeting of opposition lawmakers are further evidence of Turkey’s slide away from a democratic system. A recent move by Turkey’s ruling party to override opposition in parliament, alongside an ongoing crackdown on dissent more broadly, has cast doubt on the …

Russia’s Turkey policy to “drive a wedge between Turkey and its NATO allies” will not likely bear fruit when it comes to Ukraine. Turkey’s relationship with the United States is on the rocks, and the most immediate cause is Ankara’s refusal to get rid of its newly acquired, Russian-manufactured S-400 …

The Islamic State continues to cause trouble for the regime forces in large desert areas of central and eastern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on March 31 that six Russian fighter jets launched 15 airstrikes against Islamic State positions in the Syrian desert near the Aleppo-Hama-Raqqa triangle. …