Middle Orient

Russia announced that an American “Typhoon” fighter jet approached one of its aircraft “dangerously” over the skies of Syria, marking the first incident Russia has announced since halting air traffic coordination with the United States. The Deputy Head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, Major General Yuri Popov, stated …

There seems to be a hidden hand that pushes the players, and not anyone you would think of at first. Over the last few months, we are witnessing a long line of assassinations of mainly top operatives, allegedly performed by Israeli units, acting in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. This should …

Acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri spoke with foreign ministers in the region andaround the world aiming to bring an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. He warned against thepossibility of an Israeli offensive initiative against Hezbollah, which would lead to an expansionof the war. Meanwhile, Iran is …

Amid the tension between Hizbullah and Israel, which has been growing in recent weeks, and amid the mutual threats they are exchanging to expand the scope of the war, the Iran-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq are threatening that, if this happens, they will renew their attacks on U.S. interests in …

Moscow’s anger over Turkish arms supplies to Kyiv and compliance with U.S. sanctions threatens a rift between the on-off allies. The ever-turbulent relationship between Russia and Türkiye is on the brink of a new crisis. In early June, Russian President Vladimir Putin openly reproached Ankara for providing military aid to …

Iranian reformist presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian appears to be gaining momentum ahead of the runoff presidential elections on July 2. Several recent polls demonstrate that Pezeshkian is maintaining his lead over hardline candidate Saeed Jalili.[i] Pezeshkian received 10.4 million votes and Jalili received around 9.5 million during the first round …

Understanding Turkey’s relationship with its Western allies is challenging, at times, non-sensical. Scholars debate between whether the West actually ‘lost’ Turkey, or whether Ankara actually chose to drift away from being identified as a stalwart member of NATO, or a key strategic ally of the US Some say, it’s neither. …

As tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalate, the specter of a full-scale war, with the potential to draw in the United States and Iran, demands the US’ immediate attention. The Biden-Harris Administration has tasked, in response, White House Senior Advisor Amos Hochstein with the responsibility of mediating efforts to de-escalate …

Israel risks going to war against Hezbollah to ensure Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival, but it would be a miscalculation that could lead to mass civilian deaths in both Lebanon and Israel, a former US military intelligence analyst has warned. Harrison Mann, who was a major in the Defense Intelligence Agency …

Iraq said on Monday it had arrested three people linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and suspected of planning attacks across the country, including on a key oil export pipeline in the north.Interior ministry officials showed reporters three suspects dressed in yellow jumpsuits with their faces covered by …