Middle East

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s president raised alarm Tuesday over a proposed law seen as opening the door to the establishment of Jewish-only communities in the country. Reuven Rivlin’s comments marked a rare intervention in politics by the country’s president, whose role is mainly symbolic. He voiced his concerns in an open letter, pointing to a […]

Turkey

Top Five Foreign Policy Challenges Turkey’s Pres. Erdogan Faces in New Term

Fulya Ozerkan

Istanbul (AFP) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to take a tough line with the West on key foreign policy issues including the Syria conflict, Russian relations and migrants in his new term, but he may also show signs of compromise. Foreign policy will be immediately on the agenda after Erdogan’s inauguration Monday, as […]

China

Trump Trade War: China Refiner dumps US Crude, seeks Iranian Oil

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Irina Slav at Oilprice.com notes that China’s Dongming Petrochemical Group is dropping imports of US crude for its refineries and replacing them with oil from Iran, according to Iran’s IRNA news service and Japan Today. Moreover, China is said to be preparing to slap 25% tariffs on imports of American […]

Israel

Israel Pressures Trump over Saudi Nuclear Ambitions

Middle East Monitor

London (Middle East Monitor) – Israel has reportedly informed the Trump Administration of several conditions it expects to be met if Saudi Arabia is to be sold reactors to develop its nuclear potential, according to Israel’s Channel 10 news. With the deal likely to go ahead, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz is believed to have […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel bans Swedish Activist Entry after 11-month Walk to Palestine

Maan News Agency

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli authorities banned a Swedish activist from entering Palestine late Thursday when he arrived at the Allenby Bridge, the Jordanian-Palestinian borders, coming on foot from Sweden. Swedish activist Benjamin Ladraa walked from Sweden to Palestine for about 11 months “to raise awareness about the plight of the Palestinians under (Israeli) military […]

Featured

High Iranian Official insists it Will stay in Syria, to Block Israel

Juan Cole

The Syrian Civil War is all over but the shouting. The regime probably has 80% of the population under its control again, all save Idlib Province where Sunni Arab fundamentalists hold sway, and the northeast, where leftist Kurds have attempted to construct a post-Communist cooperative society, along with a few other pockets. Those pockets are […]

Syria

Syrian Government Recovers Economic Hub linking to Jordan, Gulf Oil States

AFP

By Rim Haddad | – Nassib (Syrie) (AFP) – Syrian army soldiers burned a rebel flag Saturday after they and Russian military police took over the crucial Nassib post on the border with Jordan. “The government has got its hands on a major economic hub that links Syria with other countries, above all Jordan and […]

Iran

World powers back Iran oil exports despite US sanctions threat

AFP

By Frank ZELLER Vienna (AFP) – Iran’s remaining partners in the 2015 nuclear deal vowed Friday to keep the energy exporter plugged into the global economy despite the US withdrawal and sanctions threat. Tehran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif praised them for their “will to resist” US pressure, two months after President Donald Trump walked […]

Syria

In Syria’s Douma, UN finds likely Chlorine use, but not by Rebels

Brian Whitaker

London ( al-Bab.com) – The OPCW has now issued an interim report on the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria, last April. Although the investigation is not yet complete, laboratory tests so far have found possible evidence of chlorine use but no evidence of sarin or a similar nerve agent. The OPCW also visited two […]