Category: Middle East
-
The Israeli military conducted airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday (31 January), killing at least 26 people, local health officials reported. The strikes targeted commanders from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad following a reported breach of the ceasefire. The military said that the strikes were in response to an incident on Friday in which…
-
The United States Department of State has approved new arms sales to Israel worth $6.67 billion, including 30 Apache attack helicopters and 3,250 light tactical vehicles. The approvals were notified to Congress on Friday (30 January) as regional tensions rise, including speculation over possible U.S. military action against Iran. The announcement also comes as Donald…
-
Iran has reiterated that it remains open to diplomacy with the United States, while warning that negotiations cannot proceed under military pressure. Speaking alongside his counterpart Hakan Fidan in Türkiye, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was prepared for “fair and equitable” talks but would respond forcefully to any attack. He stressed that Iran’s…
-
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have agreed to a comprehensive ceasefire with Damascus and a gradual integration of their military and administrative structures into the Syrian state, Syrian officials confirmed on Friday (30 January). The deal follows recent clashes in which government forces retook most territory controlled by the SDF in northeastern Syria for…
-
The United States has announced multi-day military exercises in the Middle East, as Washington deploys a major naval and air presence amid escalating tensions with Iran. Air Forces Central, the air component of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said the drills will test the ability to deploy, disperse and sustain combat airpower across the region. Details…
-
US President Donald Trump has warned that Iraq could face consequences if former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki returns to power, amid political negotiations in Iraq. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “I’m hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice by reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister. Last…
-
A new state-sanctioned mural warning the United States against launching a military strike on Iran has been unveiled in Enghelab Square in central Tehran, amid rising regional tensions. The mural depicts damaged aircraft on a US aircraft carrier and carries the slogan “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind” in both Farsi…
-
Saudi Arabia is preparing to significantly scale back and redesign NEOM, the flagship development chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, as a year-long internal review nears completion. Officials briefed on the plans said the project is now envisaged as far smaller than originally conceived, reflecting budget overruns, construction delays, and tighter fiscal conditions amid subdued oil…
-
The decade-long US partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has given way to a broader shift in Washington’s Syria strategy, as Damascus moves to reassert control across the country’s north-east. The SDF, long Washington’s principal partner against Isis, has seen its role diminish as the Syrian government expands its authority. US special envoy Tom…
-
Iran has warned it would treat any military strike by the United States as an act of full-scale war, as Washington prepares to deploy additional naval and air assets to the Middle East. A senior Iranian official, speaking anonymously, said Iran’s armed forces are on high alert and prepared for a worst-case scenario, amid what…
tut0ugh 