TimeLine Layout

May, 2021

  • 8 May

    Does the US want a nuclear deal sooner than Iran? – analysis

    Does Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei want to see the outcome of June’s presidential election before agreeing to a new nuclear deal? The signs were unmistakable, but they have only become more pronounced. There may be an interim US-Iran deal to move toward returning to the nuclear deal before the May 21 …

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  • 8 May

    Palestinian territories see increased violence over Jerusalem

    Escalation is expected in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, given several strong indicators that portend an imminent explosion. Palestinians’ eyes are set on the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, where 28 Jerusalemite families are facing the risk of eviction and forced displacement from their houses. Israeli settlement organizations …

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  • 8 May

    Tensions between Morocco, Polisario Front remain after leader’s killing

    Polisario Front Police Chief Addah al-Bendir was murdered. And much like the long-simmering dispute between the Front and Morocco, nothing about his death is clear. The killing of the Polisario Front’s police chief, Addah al-Bendir, supposedly by a Moroccan drone in April marked a further test of the uncertain 30-year-old …

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  • 8 May

    Turkey faces rough road to normalization with Egypt

    Turkey’s reconciliation with Egypt is not likely to be easy, but progress after the first high-level meeting between the two sides could mark a new course in Ankara’s foreign policy and pave the way for its reconciliation with the Gulf heavyweights as well. Turkey’s quest for fence-mending with Egypt led …

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  • 8 May

    IRGC chief: Israel could be blown up in single operation

    The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps indirectly claimed responsibility for a series of attacks against Israeli interests, adding that it takes just one operation to “blow up” Israel. “Israel could be blown up in a single operation,” said the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Maj. Gen. …

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  • 8 May

    Syrian Kurdish leader says US should stay in Syria regardless of who is president

    President of Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council Ilham Ahmed spoke at a virtual event at the DC-based Newlines Institute today. A Syrian Kurdish official said today she hopes the United States will keep its forces in the region in the future no matter who is president. Ilham Ahmed, …

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  • 8 May

    Turkey offers to supply electricity to Idlib

    Ankara is working to supply electricity to Idlib province, which is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, in its latest effort to establish an economic foothold there. Regions under the control of control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a militant group that controls northeast Syria, are set to import electricity from …

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  • 8 May

    NATO Secretary General Discusses Military Mobility, Russia, Afghanistan With EU Defense Ministers

    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday (6 May 2021) that NATO continues to closely monitor Russia’s significant military build-up in and around Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting of European Union Defence Ministers, the Secretary General welcomed today’s announcement by the EU to include Canada, Norway and the United …

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  • 8 May

    Blinken Says US Considering ‘Additional’ Military Assistance To Ukraine

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States is considering Ukraine’s request for “additional” military assistance to help deter Kremlin aggression following a massive buildup of Russian forces near their shared border. Kyiv has requested U.S. air defense systems and anti-sniper technology, along with a possible deployment of Patriot …

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  • 8 May

    Yemeni Minister: Iran’s Quds Force Commander Is De Facto Ruler Of Houthi-Held Areas

    Iran’s Quds Force commander, Hassan Erlo, is acting as de facto ruler of areas controlled by the Houthi militia, a senior Yemeni official has said. Erlo (Irlo) is Iran’s ambassador to Sana’a. Erlo’s movements are highlighted by the Houthis’ media outfit, which confirms that he is acting as a leader, …

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