May, 2022

• 14 May

  Europe’s role in Gulf maritime security

  

  In February 2022, the Council of the European Union (E.U.) gathered in Brussels to discuss the extension of the Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) concept to the North-Western Indian Ocean. First piloted in the Gulf of Guinea at the beginning of 2021, the CMP is a flexible tool to enhance maritime …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Bad policy advice could lead to a catastrophe for Iran’s public economy

  

  Iran began the new fiscal year on March 21, 2022 having recorded an estimated GDP growth rate of about 4% over the previous year and 3% for the non-oil sector. The consumer price index (CPI) has grown by 35% year-on-year, according to the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI). While GDP …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Islamic State claims attack near Suez Canal

  

  On May 7, a group of militants attacked a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal, leaving one officer and 10 troops dead, while five others were injured in the clashes that subsequently erupted, according to Egyptian military spokesperson Gharib Abdel Hafez. On May 8, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  US eases sanctions on investment in Kurdish, Turkish areas of Syria

  

  The United States has formally lifted sanctions on foreign investments in non-regime held areas of northern Syria, a long expected move that was held up by Treasury Department red tape as reported earlier by Al-Monitor. The Treasury Department posted the authorization on its website, which allows activities in 12 different …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh stormed by Israeli police

  

  Videos showing Israeli police officers beating and kicking mourners at the funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh in Jerusalem have gone viral. Palestinian television icon Shireen Abu Akleh was laid to rest in the Melkite Catholic Cemetery in Jerusalem’s old city Friday afternoon after an unprecedented attack by Israeli police at …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Erdogan opposes Finland, Sweden joining NATO

  Just as the commentariat was hailing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Westward pivot, he announced today that Finland and Sweden’s bid to join NATO was not such a great idea.

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Sweden Repatriates Five ISIS Family Members, Norwegian Council Suspends Activities In al-Hol Camp

  

  The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) handed over to a Swedish Foreign Ministry delegation five members of ISIS families in camps in northeast Syria, an official in the AANES said on Wednesday. Abdukarim Omar, the co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations in the AANES, posted in …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Idleb: 15 Syrian Regime Fighters Killed by Anti-armor Missile

  

  On Tuesday, at least 15 regime members were killed and others were wounded in a rocket-propelled missile, which targeted the al-Malaga front in the southwestern countryside of Idleb. The official Amjad al-Diraa media organization announced to the Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that the operations room of the al-Fath al-Mubeen targeted a …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Report on “Withdrawal of Russian Troops” from Syria; Israel Watching “with Concern”

  

  Russian media reported on a “withdrawal of Russian troops” from Syria, a move linked to the repercussions of military operations in Ukraine. To date, Moscow has not officially confirmed the withdrawal. “Russia has begun the process of withdrawing some troops from Syria to help strengthen its forces in Ukraine,” the …

  Read More »
• 14 May

  Washington Excludes SDF-controlled Areas from Caesar Act

  

  The United States has announced that it will allow foreign investment in northeastern Syria under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) without being subject to the Caesar Act sanctions, which are imposed on the Syrian regime. Acting Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that President Joe Biden’s …

  Read More »