February, 2021

• 11 February

  Kurds Warn of Growing Islamic State Capabilities in Iraq

  The recent killing of Islamic State’s top leader in Iraq should not be seen as a crippling sign for the terror group, which has in recent months received fresh recruits and increased its attacks in the country, says a senior Iraqi Kurdish military official.

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• 11 February

  Biden to keep freeze on F-35 sales to Turkey over Russia’s S-400s: US official

  A US military official says the Biden administration does not plan to end the freeze on the delivery of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Turkey unless Ankara ditches the advanced S-400 air defense systems it purchased from Russia.

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• 11 February

  Biden: US Won’t Lift Iran Sanctions

  U.S. President Joe Biden says he will not lift economic sanctions against Iran unless Tehran first cuts its uranium enrichment back to the level it agreed to in the 2015 international treaty aimed at restraining its development of nuclear weapons.

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• 11 February

  Hayat Tahrir al-Sham shuts down arms stores across Idlib

  The Syrian Salvation Government in Idlib issued a decision to shut down all weapons stores in the areas under its control as a result of accidental shootings and explosions taking place inside these stores. The Interior Ministry of the Syrian Salvation Government affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) issued Jan. …

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• 11 February

  UN: 800 people returned to Libya while crossing Mediterranean

  2020 was a deadly year for people fleeing Libya for Europe, according to data from the UN’s International Organization for Migration. Nearly 1,000 people fleeing to Europe by boat from Libya were stopped and sent back to shore this week. People seeking to cross the Mediterranean continue to risk death …

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• 11 February

  Macron advocates Saudi, Israeli inclusion in Iran nuclear talks

  The United States says it will present a “unified front” with Europe on Iran strategy once consultations with allies conclude. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday again suggested Saudi Arabia and Israel should be involved in renewed international engagement with Iran over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

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• 11 February

  Egypt, Greece conduct naval drills amid EastMed tensions

  Egypt and Greece carried out military exercises in the Northern Fleet in the Mediterranean to counter potential threats on their maritime borders amid tensions with Turkey.

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• 11 February

  Al-Qaeda’s top man in Yemen captured last year, UN reveals

  Khalid Batarfi was reportedly handed over to Saudi authorities in the latest hammer blow to the leadership of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The head of al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, Khalid Batarfi, was captured in the country’s eastern Mahra governorate in October, according to a new United Nations report.

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• 11 February

  With New START Extended, What Is Future of US-Russian Arms Control?

  Not so long ago, as the U.S. prepared to withdraw from the INF Treaty after 30-plus years over Russia’s alleged violations of that accord, the future of nuclear arms control in general and U.S.-Russian arms control in particular looked so dim that we at Russia Matters asked leading experts whether …

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• 11 February

  The Russian Military’s Lessons Learned in Syria

  The Russian military identifies its deployment to Syria as the prototypical example of future war—an expeditionary deployment to support a coalition-based hybrid war. The Russian General Staff cites Syria as highlighting the need for Russia to develop a new military capability—deploying flexible expeditionary forces to carry out “limited actions” abroad. …

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