March, 2021

• 6 March

  U.S., EU Slap Sanctions On Russia Over Navalny Poisoning, Arrest

  The United States and the European Union have announced coordinated sanctions against Russian officials over the poisoning and imprisonment of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, as the White House sets a firmer tone with Moscow while also demonstrating a united front against Kremlin aggression. Washington said on March 2 it was …

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• 4 March

  Hamas holds internal elections ahead of Palestinian general elections

  

  Hamas held its internal leadership elections ahead of the Palestinian general elections to bring new blood into its organization. Hamas held its internal elections Feb. 19, during which tens of thousands of Hamas voters elected the administrative bodies for sub-regions, the General Shura Council, and the head and members of …

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• 4 March

  Is Russia extorting SDF in northeast Syria?

  

  Russia is trying to extort the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria by threatening to retreat from its locations and leave the SDF at the mercy of the threats of the Turkish army and its allies, if the SDF does not respond to Russia’s demands and interests. The Turkish army …

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• 4 March

  Hayat Tahrir al-Sham intensifies campaign against al-Qaeda affiliate in Idlib

  

  Hayat Tahrir al-Sham presses on with its campaign to weaken Hurras al-Din. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, this month launched a campaign of wide-scale arrests against prominent leaders and members of Hurras al-Din (Guardians of Religion Organization), which is affiliated with al-Qaeda. It appears that …

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• 4 March

  Islamic State recruit Shamima Begum can’t return to UK, court rules

  

  Begum, whose British citizenship was revoked on national security grounds in 2019, is challenging the revocation from a displacement camp in Syria. The UK Supreme Court ruled Friday that Shamima Begum, who left London as a teen to join the Islamic State in Syria, cannot return to the United Kingdom …

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• 4 March

  Saudi Arabia wants in on Nile dam dispute

  

  Saudi Arabia has stated its step into the deadlock between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over Addis Ababa’s controversial dam on the Nile River, but just what Riyadh has new to offer is unclear. Saudi Arabia has announced its intention to mediate in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam …

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• 4 March

  Netanyahu says Iran behind explosion that hit Israeli-owned ship

  

  For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it is clear that Iran is behind the explosion that hit an Israeli-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman last week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames Iran for the blast that hit an Israeli-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman last week. …

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• 4 March

  Why Trump’s Maximum Pressure Strategy Won’t Get Iran Back to the Negotiating Table

  

  The Trump administration’s strategy of applying “maximum pressure” on Iran has succeeded in inflicting unprecedented economic pain on the country, particularly since the U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and subsequently reimposed punishing sanctions. Yet, despite the resulting political pressures that have mounted in Iran, the …

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• 4 March

  Why Iran May Be Locked Into a Future of More Protests

  

  At midnight on Nov. 15, Iran’s government announced a precipitous 300 percent hike in fuel prices. Immediate public outcries quickly escalated into nationwide protests that spread to more than 100 cities and gripped the country for 6 straight days, before the authorities effectively crushed them. Since President Donald Trump withdrew …

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• 4 March

  Is Iran Losing Its Grip on Its Proxy Militias in Iraq?

  Earlier this month, a prominent researcher and security expert in Iraq, who was close to the new prime minister and to Western governments, was gunned down outside his home in Baghdad. While the identify of his assailants remains unknown, Hisham al-Hashimi had many enemies, given his history of speaking out …

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