Middle Orient

Who is ‘Abu Obeida’, the iconic masked spokesperson for Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades?

Abu Obeida attracts a wide audience of Palestinians and Arabs due to his eloquence in the Arabic language and his creativity when he speaks. When a new recording of Abu Obeida, the official spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, is aired, millions of people pay attention and …

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Between hope and anxiety, Palestinians in Gaza look forward to Biden’s ceasefire plan

Separately speaking to The New Arab, Palestinians in Gaza expressed differing points of view, moving between optimism and pessimism, about the new initiative. Between hope, fear, and anxiety, Palestinians in Gaza are following the news about US President Joe Biden’s initiative that was announced on Friday and which could potentially …

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Biden’s secret support for Iran America is far from Israel’s best friend

This past Memorial Day, as Americans honoured their war dead, the Biden administration was running interference for an Iranian regime whose Supreme Leader has described “death to America” as his official state policy. A report in the day’s Wall Street Journal described how the US was “pressing European allies to …

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Iran Update, June 03, 2024

Hardliners overwhelmingly dominate the candidate pool for the upcoming Iranian presidential election. The registration period for the election ended on June 3, and 80 individuals registered to compete in the election.[i] The Guardian Council—a regime body responsible for supervising elections and approving candidates—will vet candidates between June 4 and 10, …

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei And Regime Mouthpiece ‘Kayhan’ On The Student Protests In The U.S. And Europe: ‘This Is What We Call Exporting The Islamic Revolution!’

Senior Iranian regime officials, along with regime mouthpieces, are referring to the recent pro-Palestinian student protests at university campuses across the U.S. and Europe as “exporting [Iran’s Islamic] revolution” to the West, which has been a key policy goal of Iran’s Islamic regime since its founding. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali …

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What Is Hamas Hiding in Rafah, and Why Doesn’t Biden Want the IDF to Find It?

In the lead up to the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) operation to destroy Hamas and secure the release of over 100 hostages – including 8 Americas – believed to be in and around Rafah, leaders around the world from Joe Biden to the collective leftist leaders of the European Union …

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ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2024

Following is the March 2024 installment of “ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency,” a monthly chronicle of attacks by the terrorist group ISIS in central Syria. All previous monthly installments can be found here, as well as a review of developments throughout 2023, 2022, and 2021. A full background and …

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For some Palestinians who adored Turkey’s Erdogan, Gaza response ‘too little, too late’

While prior to Oct. 7 the Turkish leader was viewed favorably among wide swaths of Palestinians for his harsh rhetoric against Israel, many now say he’s done too little since the outbreak of the war. When rogue officers sought to overthrow Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a bloody coup …

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Jalili to Larijani: Key names emerge in Iran’s presidential elections

Another hard-liner and a Reformist recently declared their candidacies, and others may soon announce theirs in the election to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi. A number of potential candidates have emerged in Iran’s upcoming presidential elections, possibly setting up a crowded field with the important vote weeks away to …

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Israel confirms more hostages dead as doubts grow over Gaza truce plan

Israel on Monday announced the deaths of four captives held in Gaza amid growing doubts and international pressure over a plan for a ceasefire and hostage release deal outlined by US President Joe Biden. Biden on Friday presented what he labelled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the bloody …

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