April 8, 2021 Eurasia, Middle Orient
After Qatar reconciled with its Gulf neighbours at the start of this year, chief among them Saudi Arabia, an almost four-year blockade came to an end. It was perhaps inevitable that talk of reconciliation between Qatar’s ally Turkey and Riyadh would follow. As a precursor to such a warming of …
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April 8, 2021 Eurasia, Iran, Middle Orient
Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, proposed activating a shipping line that passes through Iran as an alternative to Egypt’s Suez Canal, Anadolu Agency reports. The Suez Canal has been temporarily suspended since Tuesday when a massive Panamanian container cargo ship, Ever Given, ran aground while passing through the new …
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April 8, 2021 Eurasia, Iran, Middle Orient
The Arabs are warning the world that Turkey and Iran are funding and arming terrorists, that they a major threat to security and stability in the Middle East, and that they keep meddling in the internal affairs of Arab countries. The Arabs are also telling the world that the only …
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April 8, 2021 Eurasia, Middle Orient
In a recent issue of Thabat, an Al Qaeda affiliated media outfit, the emir of Jaysh al-Ummah in Gaza – Sheikh Mujahid Abu Hafs al-Maqdisi – explained his vision to solve the Palestinian issue while accusing Palestinian factions of serving the interests of “Western Zionist-Crusaders” and “Eastern Russian-Persian” projects.
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April 8, 2021 South East Asia
The Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has wrapped up his second series of meetings so far this year with Southeast Asia leaders to discuss vaccine distribution, help with post-pandemic recovery and other offers that experts say could sway countries in the pivotal subregion toward China and away from growing U.S. …
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April 8, 2021 Eurasia, Middle Orient, Turkey
A group of retired Turkish navy admirals are under investigation after penning a letter on a Bosporus Strait treaty government officials claim is “reminiscent of coup times.” Turkish police detained 10 retired navy admirals on April 5 after more than 100 former officers issued an open letter Ankara officials interpreted …
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April 8, 2021 Africa, Magreb
Egypt has raised concerns about a Libyan plan to integrate militias into its military establishment after unification, arguing that doing so could undermine security and stability in both countries. Egypt has renewed its support for the Libyan National Army. LNA commander Khalifa Hifter went to Cairo March 16 and met …
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April 8, 2021 Eurasia, Iran, Middle Orient
A man was executed last year for allegedly spying on Iranian forces for Israel and the United States. Iranian authorities arrested an alleged Israeli spy on Monday. The Intelligence Ministry said the spy was arrested in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan. Several other alleged spies for unspecified other countries …
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April 8, 2021 Middle Orient
Syria’s economic collapse is stoking the struggle over commercial routes between government-held areas and US- and Turkish-backed enclaves, fueling also disagreements on humanitarian aid. Tensions in Syria are increasingly marked by a struggle for the control of economic routes, as the country’s economic crisis is exacerbated amid shortages of even …
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April 8, 2021 Eurasia, Iran, Middle Orient
As Washington and Tehran make small progress on resolving their dispute over the 2015 nuclear deal, it remains unclear whether Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will support President Hassan Rouhani’s efforts to negotiate. As Iranian President Hassan Rouhani prepares to leave office in a few months’ time, a significant …
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