Middle Orient

Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria have reportedly drafted a joint memorandum calling for the lifting of restrictions on the Central Bank of Syria and other financial institutions, Enab Baladi says, In a notable shift in European policy toward post-Assad Syria, the European Union’s top foreign affairs official, Kaja Kallas, …

The Syrian Interim President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said his country is emerging from one of the darkest chapters in its modern history, marked by war, displacement, and isolation under the fallen regime. In a nationally televised address, he described the recent lifting of international sanctions as a “historic turning point,” crediting …

In a dramatic pivot from years of international isolation, Syria is emerging from the shadows of war and sanctions into a new era of diplomacy, reconstruction, and economic ambition. The recent meeting between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and former U.S. President Donald Trump, hosted in Riyadh under the auspices of …

The threat of cyberattacks looms larger than ever before. Recent global intelligence assessments and cybersecurity industry reports have warned that the frequency, sophistication and scale of cyberattacks are expected to rise dramatically in the coming years. Governments, corporations and even small businesses are increasingly becoming targets as cybercriminals leverage artificial …

Syrian National Army (SNA) factions that fought the Assad government with backing from Türkiye continue to detain, mistreat, and extort civilians in northern Syria, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. These fighters are being integrated into Syria’s Armed Forces, with their commanders appointed to key government and military positions, despite their …

An Iranian vessel may have harassed a commercial vessel in the Persian Gulf on May 10. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a small craft collided with a merchant vessel and attempted to collide with other vessels about 80 nautical miles northwest of Jebel Ali, the United …

The president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Muhammad al-Julani), confirmed that indirectcontacts were being held by Syria and Israel to achieve calm and prevent escalation, and heexpressed commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement. IDF forces continued operatingin the buffer zone in the Golan Heights and supporting the Druze in southern …

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei re-emphasized the importance of the Palestinian issuefor the Muslim world and called for not ignoring the “crimes of the Zionist regime.” The Iranianforeign minister emphasized in discussions with his Arab counterparts the need forcooperation between regional countries to stop Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip. …

Israel targeted Houthi-controlled al Salif and Hudaydah ports on May 16 as part of an Israeli campaign to disrupt the Houthi ability to enable attacks targeting Israel.[i] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated after the airstrikes on May 16 that Israel will continue to strike Houthi targets “including [Houthi] leadership …

The new aid plan bypasses the UN and uses private charities and security firms to deliver aid in Gaza, with fears it is a fig leaf to advance mass displacement The US is establishing a new system relying on private firms to coordinate humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, …