Middle Orient

Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 3 p.m., January 15, 2024)

The southern arena: The activity of the IDF forces continued, focusing on the Khan Yunis area. The Palestinian media reported that the main fighting centers were in Gaza City, the al-Nuseirat refugee camp (central Gaza Strip) and west of Khan Yunis. Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility for launching rockets at …

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Ambiguity in predicting the future of the Gaza war

When we think about the future, predicting comes to mind. Still, it should be known that predicting the future faces serious limitations. The longer the prediction period is, the harder it is to predict. The most important factor that exposes predictions to collapse is the thoughtless, new occurrences and in-time …

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Strengthening the interactions between Tehran and Moscow

Eghbali Zarch The world is still witnessing the brutal attacks of the Zionist regime on Gaza, and the actions of various states and the movements of the Middle East countries have not had an effect in stopping the crimes of the Zionist regime. Following the diplomatic efforts of our country …

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Iran Update, January 16, 2024

Information Cutoff: 2:00 pm EST The Iran Update provides insights into Iranian and Iranian-sponsored activities abroad that undermine regional stability and threaten US forces and interests. It also covers events and trends that affect the stability and decision-making of the Iranian regime. The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American …

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Israel Hints at Lebanon Ground Operations

Latest Developments The Israeli military went public on January 16 with a special forces operation in southern Lebanon, as the prospect of war with Hezbollah looms. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its special forces struck in order “to remove a threat” in the area of Ayta ash Shab, a …

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Why Do The U.S. And Israel Tolerate Qatar’s Blatant Anti-U.S. And Anti-Israel Policies?

Introduction Two developments with dangerous and even explosive repercussions for the standing and interests of both the U.S. and Israel in the Middle East occurred in the last few days. The U.S. has extended its presence at Qatar’s Al-Udeid airbase – CENTCOM’s main airbase in the region – for another …

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Don’t Bomb the Houthis

Careful Diplomacy Can Stop the Attacks in the Red Sea The conflict between the United States and the Houthis in the Red Sea is steadily escalating. On December 31, Houthi small boats attempted to attack a commercial vessel; after U.S. naval helicopters responded to the attack, the Houthis—a rebel group …

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Iran’s Nuclear Chief Mohammad Eslami: ‘Khamenei’s Fatwa Forbids The Use Of Nuclear Weapons; We Do Not Want Them’

Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Eslami discussed in a January 13, 2024, show on Ofogh TV (Iran) his county’s plans for obtaining nuclear weapons. He said that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa forbidding the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore such weapons are not …

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Iran attacks alleged militant bases in Pakistan; Islamabad says ‘unprovoked’ strikes kill 2 children

Iran launched attacks Tuesday in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl, potentially further raising tensions in a Middle East already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Pakistan said the strikes killed two children and wounded three others in an …

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Iran’s IRGC says attacked Israeli ‘espionage’ centers in Iraq’s Erbil

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they attacked the “espionage headquarters” of Israel in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported late on Monday, while the elite force said they also struck in Syria against ISIS. “Ballistic missiles were used to destroy espionage centers and gatherings of anti-Iranian terrorist groups in …

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