December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Middle Orient
The U.S. capture of a tanker accused of carrying Venezuelan and Iranian oil was not an isolated action. It was an escalation—another step in Washington’s long campaign to strangle the Bolivarian People’s Socialist Democratic Revolution and to punish Iran for refusing submission to U.S. diktat. Within hours, Tehran answered in …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Middle Orient
Local factions in Suwayda renewed attacks on internal security forces affiliated with Syria’s Ministry of Interior, on the province’s western front, on Saturday, 13 December. Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Daraa (southern Syria) said local factions in Suwayda targeted an internal security vehicle with a bomb-laden drone in the town of …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Middle Orient
Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yosr Bernieh , in his capacity as chair of the board of Syria’s Insurance Supervision Authority, announced the dissolution of the Syrian Insurance Companies Union and the Insurance Agents and Brokers Union. In a post on LinkedIn today, Friday 12 December, the minister said the move …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Middle Orient
President Donald Trump said Saturday that “there will be very serious retaliation” after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an attack in Syria that the United States blames on the Islamic State group. “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Iran, Middle Orient
The Iraqi government did the right thing and froze the assets of Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, but once the story made news on December 4, the government walked its decision back within hours. In November, the country’s Committee for the Freezing of Terrorists’ Funds put the two Iran-backed groups on …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Middle Orient, Turkey
If the agreement collapses, violence may be imminent. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have spent months negotiating with the government in Damascus how to implement their March agreement for the SDF to merge with the national armed forces. Mistrust of government centralization and recent sectarian massacres have shaken the …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, South East Asia
When President Trump travels to Beijing early next year to finalize a new trade deal, China will deploy one of its favorite pressure tactics: restricting exports of rare earth elements. Last month, The New York Times’s Thomas Friedman warned that China’s threat to cut off rare earth exports could “trump …
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December 16, 2025 Africa, Eurasia, Middle Orient
Official says unresolved disputes over Gaza, Rafah Crossing and security make summit with Netanyahu unlikely despite interest from Jerusalem, Washington Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi currently has no plans to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a government official familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel, amid reports that …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Middle Orient
Youssef Rajji says Lebanon seeking to prevent escalation and negotiate terror group’s disarmament; denounces Iran as ‘source of instability’ Lebanon has received warnings from Arab and international parties that Israel is preparing for a wide-scale military operation against Hezbollah, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji told Al Jazeera on Friday, as …
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December 16, 2025 Eurasia, Middle Orient
3 others said killed in airstrike on terror group’s No. 2; Netanyahu, Katz say assassination a response to IED that lightly hurt 2 reservists in Strip’s south Top Hamas commander Raad Saad was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Saturday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces said, in …
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