September 21, 2020 Eurasia, Middle Orient
“For whatever reason, they’re not that successful at hitting anyone,” Gen. Frank McKenzie says. “I don’t know how long we can count on that continuing.” More than eight months after a barrage of rockets killed an American contractor and wounded four American service members in Kirkuk, Iraq, militia groups continue …
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September 21, 2020 Eurasia, South East Asia
The U.S. Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russia’s far east, as part of a series of recent maneuvers that the military said Friday are meant to demonstrate American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a top Russian commander blasted …
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September 16, 2020 Eurasia, Middle Orient
On Friday, Syrian state-run news SANA reported that the Israelis conducted an airstrike in the suburbs outside of Aleppo in southern Syria. The target was the town of al-Safirah where the Syrians once had a major missile production facility. SANA quoted an unnamed military source who said that “at 1:30 …
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September 15, 2020 Eurasia, Middle Orient
During Haniyeh’s tour of Ain al-Hilweh, he said that the Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip “possesses missiles to strike Tel Aviv and beyond Tel Aviv.” Arab political analysts…. also believe that Iran is preparing to use its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, to target Arab countries that establish relations with …
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September 15, 2020 Eurasia, Iran, Middle Orient
Israelis are delighted the government has reached another peace deal with an Arab country, this time Bahrain, following last month’s agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Analysts say the Gulf states see the deals as a way to discourage potential attacks from Iran. But Palestinians are furious at the deal, …
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September 15, 2020 Eurasia, Turkey
Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis, which has been at the heart of a simmering standoff between Greece and Turkey over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, has returned to a port in southern Turkey, a ship tracker shows.
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September 15, 2020 Balkans, Eurasia
With tensions between NATO allies Greece and Turkey rising, Greece has announced plans to purchase a grab bag of new warplanes, frigates, helicopters and weapons systems. Greece’s defense shopping spree comes amid a new diplomatic scramble with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visiting Cyprus to ease an energy standoff …
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September 15, 2020 Eurasia, Middle Orient
On the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 hijackings, Al Qaeda has released a lengthy screed from Ayman al Zawahiri. In last year’s anniversary message, Zawahiri attempted to rebuke Islamic critics of al Qaeda’s deadliest day. This year, Zawahiri’s ire is directed at another target: Al Jazeera. In particular, the al …
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September 15, 2020 Eurasia, Middle Orient
The intended target of the UAE-Israel alliance is not Iran but Turkey, whose regional clout poses a threat to Gulf rulers, says David Hearst, the editor in chief of Middle East Eye.
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September 14, 2020 Eurasia, Pakistan, South East Asia
The rapidly shifting geopolitical realities, especially the current circumstances in South Asia, behove Pakistan to treat the Kashmir issue as its top priority; thankfully, Islamabad is doing that. The recent statement by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi concerning the establishment of an alternative Muslim bloc to deal with the Kashmir …
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