Middle Orient

Sanctions on Syria aim to protect Syrian civilians from the regime but may end up hurting them instead. Washington should further clarify humanitarian exemptions, specify benchmarks related to civilian protection and offer temporary easing of sanctions as long as these are met.

Russian forces on Saturday took control of a major oil field in the Deir Ez-Zor governorate, in eastern Syria, after removing regime forces from it.

Iraq’s new government failed an initial test of its efforts to gain control of the Iran-backed Shia militias that have been attacking U.S. forces and installations throughout Iraq.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with support from the US-led Coalition, carried out several security operations against the so-called Islamic State in the northern Syrian Deir al-Zor and Hasakah provinces this week.

When Italian authorities announced last week that they had seized 15.4 tons of counterfeit Captagon produced by ISIS in Syria to fund terrorism, it was lauded as one of the largest drug busts in history.

Lebanese businessman and accused Hezbollah financier Kassem Tajeddine arrived in the capital Beirut following his compassionate early release from US detention, three years into a five-year sentence for evading US sanctions.

On June 25, Iraqi forces arrested 14 militants belonging to the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) in an anti-terrorism raid ordered by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. The KH members were allegedly planning an attack on Baghdad’s Green Zone, which houses the U.S. Embassy and other diplomatic compounds. Shortly after the arrest, …

Over the last two weeks, explosions have taken place at the Khojir missile production complex in Tehran and the Natanz nuclear complex. While Iranian officials have downplayed the events, it is likely that both blasts at the facilities were acts of sabotage.

Italian authorities stunned the world by announcing the “Islamic State” was trying to ship €1 billion worth of amphetamines into Europe. But after analysts raised doubts, eyes turn to President Bashar Assad’s regime.

The powerful Hezbollah group said on Tuesday it is in talks with the Lebanese government about the possibility of Iran supplying the country with refined oil products in exchange for Lebanese pounds.