Middle Orient

Tehran has condemned capture of president Nicolas Maduro as it warns against US striking Iran When Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on Monday, three diplomats stood out among the first people to congratulate her: the ambassadors of China and Russia, and that of Iran, Ali Chegini. …

Public offices and schools closed and flights suspended in northern city as fighting continues The Syrian army warned Kurdish militias on Wednesday that it would strike “military targets” in Aleppo, as deadly exchanges continued for a third day in the latest round of urban warfare in the country’s second-largest city. …

Iran’s top judge warned protesters on Wednesday there would be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic,” while accusing Israel and the US of pursuing hybrid methods to disrupt the country. Tehran remains under international pressure with US President Donald Trump threatening to come to …

Iran’s New Year protests expose the pressures shaping the political system’s response to dissent. The New Year demonstrations in Iran came at the end of a year marked by war, economic strain, and political uncertainty. In 2025, Israel launched a 12-day attack on Iran, assassinating senior military leaders and targeting …

The Islamic Republic has experienced multiple mass protests in recent years, but the latest round of demonstrations come at a particularly difficult moment for the regime. Carolyn Kissane, academic director and clinical professor at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University, leads the conversation on the geopolitics of …

HRANA- Protests and strikes in various cities across Iran entered their eighth day. An assessment of updated and verified data indicates that despite intensified security measures, increased deployment of law enforcement and security forces, and the continuation of on-the-ground crackdowns in some areas, the geographical spread of the protests has …

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out a raid campaign in the town of al-Susah (eastern Deir Ezzor governorate, eastern Syria) on Saturday, 3 December. Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Deir Ezzor said SDF fighters arrested four people during the campaign, claiming they belong to the Islamic State group (IS). Clashes …

Sukkot stated that Haaretz has “become a mouthpiece for anti-Zionist propaganda, and in some cases even includes content that encourages the delegitimization of IDF soldiers and the State of Israel. RZP MK Zvi Sukkot will push for the Education Ministry to remove the inclusion of texts from Haaretz in high …

The plan, called “Plan B” by the British report, would include 86-year-old Khamenei and 20 close people, including family and aides. The supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly has an “escape plan” that involves fleeing to Russia if the current nationwide protests continue to …

The meeting between the Syrian government and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi on Sunday, 4 January 2026, did not produce tangible results that would accelerate implementation of the agreement on the ground, a government source told Syria’s al-Ikhbariya channel. The government source added that the two sides agreed …