An expanded NATO — now with 32 members — has many advantages in capabilities and geostrategy, but speed of action is not one of them. As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary, it has cause to celebrate Sweden’s addition as the 32nd member of the alliance. The Nordic country’s accession came …

On the menu today: Israel tells President Biden it’s not interested in just “taking the win” and launches an airstrike against an Iranian air base; Hamas proves itself the intractable obstacle to a cease-fire again; mainstream American institutions finally get tired of putting up with the tantrum-throwing Hamas apologists; a …

Iran exported 141.7 million barrels of oil during the first quarter of 2024, a 28 percent increase over the same period last year. Increased oil exports enhance Tehran’s currency reserves and enable it to support its military industry and proxies as it escalates tension with Jerusalem. In March 2024, Iranian …

Putin is more likely to promote people in their forties than older generations who have been in power for too long and can envisage life without him. But Russia doesn’t have enough young administrators ready to replace those in their sixties. The Russian elite is both fearful and hopeful about …

On April 18 the US and UK imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran. On April 17 European Union leaders had talked aggressively about ramping up sanctions on Iran. This has happened in the wake of Iran’s April 13 attack on Israeli targets, which in turn was in response …

The Iranian-Israeli ‘shadow war’ ended on 13 April with Iran firing 170 drones and 150 cruise and ballistic missiles at Israel from Iranian soil. This was the Islamic Republic’s retaliation for Israel’s razing of an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus 12 days earlier. Tehran’s bold, unprecedented, and risky move, which …

Voters in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region will cast ballots on 10 June for the regional parliament for the first time since 2018, but a major force will be missing from the ballot. In an unprecedented move, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) declared on 18 March that it would boycott the election. …

Last week, Turkey introduced restrictions on trade with Israel, announcing a list of 54 products whose export it will halt until Israel declares a ceasefire in Gaza, according to the trade ministry. Turkey and Israel restored diplomatic relations in 2022 by reinstating ambassadors following years of tension. However, ties swiftly …

Due to mounting public discontent, the work of this religious police was discontinued, Syria TV says. Undoubtedly, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, has been significantly impacted by the popular movement in Idleb that seeks his removal. Interestingly, this movement has also inadvertently served al-Julani by allowing …

The operational synergy between the Lebanese Army’s Intelligence Directorate and Syrian counterparts led to the capture of the three suspects in a border region shared by Syria and Lebanon. The Lebanese Intelligence Directorate, in collaboration with Syrian authorities, successfully apprehended the three Syrian individuals accountable for the abduction and subsequent …