August, 2023

• 21 August

  US Imposes Sanctions on Two Armed Groups in Syria

  

  The United States imposed on Thursday sanctions on two Türkiye-backed Syrian armed groups and some of their leaders accused of human rights abuses in areas under their control. “The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating two Syria-based armed militias and three members of …

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• 21 August

  Iran Supreme Leader: Saying “Military Options are on the Table” is Meaningless

  

  Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the phrase “military options are on the table” to the IRGC’s deterrence power and capabilities has become “trivial, meaningless, and worthless.” Khamenei was speaking during a meeting with the Supreme Assembly of Commanders and Officials of the Iranian Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the first …

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• 21 August

  Putin, Raisi Discuss Tehran Joining BRICS

  

  Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi discussed Iran’s possible membership of the BRICS. “The parties discussed issues related to cooperation in international and regional affairs, particularly taking into account Iran’s full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its interest in joining the BRICS group,” the …

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• 18 August

  Iran, South Africa sign agreement in Pretoria ahead of BRICS summit

  

  The South African and Iranian foreign ministers have signed a cooperation deal ahead of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, which Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi will attend. Iran and South Africa signed a cooperation agreement in Pretoria Thursday during Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s visit to his South African counterpart Naledi …

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• 18 August

  Why Turkey’s Erdogan sings the same tune with Russia’s Putin in Africa

  

  Turkey’s efforts to expand its influence in Africa often align with those of Russia, with both Ankara and Moscow holding back from condemning military coups and seeking to capitalize on post-colonial resentments. A series of military takeovers in West Africa, the latest occurring in Niger last month, reveal the extent …

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• 18 August

  It’s Time to Get the U.S. Military Out of the Middle East

  

  Last week, former U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect that the United States, and specifically the administration of President Joe Biden, was responsible for Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In an interview on Fox News, Trump opined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely gained “a little more ambition” …

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• 18 August

  Assad Has Survived Syria’s Civil War. Syria Might Not

  

  This month marks 12 years since a popular uprising in Syria erupted as part of the wave of Arab uprisings known as the Arab Spring and soon turned into an all-out civil war. Since then, over 300,000 civilians have been killed and millions of people displaced. The past year of …

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• 18 August

  Egypt and Iran Could Be the Next Thaw in the Middle East

  

  Quiet mediation efforts between Egypt and Iran have been going on for months, seeking to end one of the Middle East’s longest-running but often-neglected feuds. In May, credible media reports indicated that Egyptian-Iranian talks had been taking place in Baghdad since March. Later that month, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq …

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• 18 August

  Lebanon’s Military Could Be the Next Casualty of Its Economic Crisis

  

  It’s been almost a year since Elias—whose name has been changed to protect his identity—officially became a deserter from the Lebanese armed forces. As a specialized technician with over a decade in the army, he had been making the equivalent of $1,300 month. But then Lebanon’s economic crisis hit in …

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• 18 August

  Iraq Is Open for Business—and Influence

  

  On July 3, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reached an agreement with Iraq to invest $3 billion each in the country, signaling an expansion of investments by the Gulf states at a time when Iraq continues to seek financing for postwar reconstruction and development of its infrastructure. Iraqi …

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