Middle Orient

France reiterates its “commitment to respect for freedom of navigation” and be ready to intervene “effectively in the event of a violation of international law” with new operation in the Mediterranean Sea. The French Defense Ministry announced an operation, called Medor, at the end of September in the Mediterranean Sea. …

Ahrar al-Sham, once one of the largest factions of the Syrian opposition, has divided into two wings: one with ties to the Free Syrian Army and another close to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. A crisis within Ahrar al-Sham erupted on Oct. 20 when the movement’s Shura Council, led by Jaber Ali …

France’s decision to outlaw the Gray Wolves marks a new milestone in Erdogan’s showdown with Europe over Turkish migrant groups, which he uses as a tool to advance his political agenda. Tensions between Turkey and France, stoked by the French government’s plans to tackle “Islamist separatism,” are spilling over to …

After surrounding the town and cutting off roads to and from the area, the Syrian army has enter al-Karak in search of militant sleeper cells reports Al-Masdar.

As a conference on the return of refugees gets underway in Damascus, President Erdogan has called for the removal of Assad from power writes Nedaa Syria. On Wednesday, Turkey called for the removal of the Assad regime from power and for the reaching of a just political solution that guarantees …

The Hamza Division has returned tens of civilians back to the regime, when they were unable to pay the 400 dollars demanded of them reports Nedaa Syria. The Hamza Division, affiliated with the Syrian National Army, has arrested dozens of people fleeing regime-controlled areas and sent them to an area …

The Syrian government announced that it intends to benefit from Russian experience in managing cities, especially in old Damascus, while Russia affirmed its willingness to cooperate and lend its experience in the field, amid a clear disregard for the Iranian presence in that region.

While the regime talks about the return of the displaced to southern Damascus, it continues to complicate matters. The regime requires that the ownership of the house be proven with a document (called the green tabu), in addition to the fact that the house should be intact and the person …

An Israeli strike against Iran is extremely complicated and has always been viewed by the IDF as a last resort. In 2008, after the election that brought former US president Barack Obama to power, there were some officials in Israel who were confident that the previous president, George W. Bush, …

Iraqi forces deliver heavy blows to remnants of the ISIS terrorist group in the country, with counter-terrorism efforts by the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Sha’abi facilitating the process. The forces faced the Daesh terrorists in the eastern Iraqi Diyala Province, Nineveh and al-Anbar Provinces in the country’s west, …