Syrian army and allies ‘capture’ last ISIS stronghold
The Syrian army has captured the last major Islamic State-held town, Albu Kamal, the country’s media said.
Syria
Saudi Arabia’s push on Iran ratchets up regional tensions
Saudi Arabia is more aggressively confronting its rival Iran on multiple fronts. It’s a policy that risks sharpening several conflicts in the Middle East, even though so far it has failed to score any successes in stemming Tehran’s influence.
A Saudi-orchestrated resignation throws Lebanon into turmoil
Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s abrupt resignation over the weekend was bizarre even by the often twisted standards of Lebanese politics: He made the surprise announcement from the Saudi capital in a pre-recorded message on a Saudi-owned TV station.
After air strike, Israeli minister warns against arms shipments to Hezbollah
A senior Israeli minister on Thursday declined to comment on reports that Israeli aircraft had struck a target in Syria the night before but repeated a threat to hit arms shipments to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.
White House: North Korea could be listed as terrorism sponsor
US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser says North Korea could be returned to the list of countries the US believes sponsor terrorism, as part of Trump’s strategy to counter the North’s growing nuclear threat.
Only 1.5 Percent of Syrian Christians Fleeing ISIS Given Refugee Status in US, UK
The United Nations has ‘failed miserably’ when it comes to protecting Christians from genocide, a charity has said, noting that a mere 1.5 percent of Syrian refugees accepted by Western nations in 2016 were followers of Christ.
Israel and Syria exchange fire near Homs, Arab media claims
Israel’s air force attacked a weapons depot situated in rural areas around Hisya, south of the Syrian city of Homs, Arab media reported Wednesday night.
White House slams Russia over veto on Syria chemical weapons probe
The White House admonished Russia on Wednesday after it vetoed a United Nations plan to continue an ongoing investigation that recently found Syria killed dozens of people with chemical weapons and implored the international body to renew the probe.
U.S. ramps up air war against Islamic State in Yemen as fight subsides in Iraq and Syria
As the fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria comes to a close, U.S. military and counterterrorism officials are setting their sights on the group’s growing presence in the war-torn country of Yemen.
Syrian government to blame for April sarin attack: U.N. report
The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad is to blame for a chemical attack on the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens of people last April, according to a report sent to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday.
ISIS Fighters Have Returned Home from the Battlefield
As ISIS’ territorial control erodes in Iraq and Syria, many of the more than 40,000 foreign fighters who joined the terrorist group have started to head back to the countries from which they came.
A Russian ghost submarine, its US pursuers and a deadly new Cold War
The Krasnodar, a Russian attack submarine, left the coast of Libya in late May, headed east across the Mediterranean, then slipped undersea, quiet as a mouse. Then, it fired a volley of cruise missiles into Syria.
Report: Hezbollah to leave Syria to prepare for conflict with Israel
Hezbollah is planning to withdraw its forces from Syria in 2018 in order to bolster its presence along the border with Israel, Lebanese news site Lebanon 24 reported on Tuesday.
US House of Representatives Passes Tough New Measures Targeting Hezbollah, ‘Iran’s Leading Terrorist Proxy’
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee declared on Wednesday that the US had sent an unmistakable message to Iran’s Lebanese Shia proxy, Hezbollah, with the passage by the House of Representatives of three new measures targeting the terrorist organization’s financing and recruitment operations.
Russia veto puts an end to Syria chemical weapons probe
Russia vetoed Tuesday a US-drafted resolution that would have extended by a year an investigation of who is behind chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
Iraq readies for final offensive on Islamic State near Syrian border
Iraqi forces are about to launch an offensive to recapture the last patch of Iraqi territory still in the hands of Islamic State, the military said on Wednesday.
US ‘Can’t Allow’ Iranian IRGC Supply Lines Through Middle East, Sen. Tom Cotton Declares
A leading member of the Senate Armed Services Committee has warned that the danger posed by Iran towards Israel is only increasing as the Tehran regime extends its political influence and military footprint across the Middle East.
UN to vote on extending Syria chemical weapons inspectors
The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a vote Tuesday on a U.S.-sponsored resolution that would extend the work of inspectors seeking to determine who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria, and the big question is whether Russia will veto it.
Israel strikes Syria, responding to errant mortar fire
The Israeli military says it has struck Syria in response to a mortar fired from the territory.
Netanyahu and Putin Discuss Iran Nuclear Program, Syria in Phone Call
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Iran nuclear program, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.