Middle East

Hamas to Abbas: Lift punitive measures against the people of Gaza

Fatah and Hamas officials are slated to meet in Cairo in the next week to discuss reconciliation.

Trump debates 'decertification' approach to undercut Iran deal

It's a goldilocks option for the White House, which vociferously disapproves of the Obama-era nuclear deal.

US and Iran argue over inspections at nuclear watchdog meeting

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley last month called for the IAEA to inspect a wider range of sites in Iran, including military ones.

Iranian army chief: We will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa into dust

On the eve of Prime Minister Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump, Tehran threatens to destroy Israel "with lightning speed."

Iran leader Khamenei warns US against 'wrong move' on nuclear deal

"There will be no retreat by the Islamic Republic," said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Bahrain king denounces Arab boycott of Israel, says countrymen may visit

The king of the island nation has plans to establish a Museum of Religious Tolerance in the capital city by the end of the year.

Iraq's Kurdish parliament backs Sept 25 independence referendum

Disregarding warnings from the West and Turkey, the Kurdish parliament is set to ask the people if they want independence.

Moscow rejects Israeli request for buffer zone in Syria

A senior Israeli official said that Israel never asked for the buffer zone.

Iran pays $830 million to Hezbollah

Iran is also "the largest backer financially and militarily'' to Hamas's militant wing.

‘Second Turkish Republic’ looks east for new alliances

Three factors underlie Turkey’s ongoing drift away from its traditional strategic position in the region as a NATO and US ally.

Sixth round of Syria peace talks kicks off in Kazakh capital of Astana

Russia dramatically altered the landscape of the Syrian civil war after its intervention in September 2015, but the war is far from over.

Advise and assist: The Iraqi army through the eyes of an American advisor

Fourteen years after the first insurgents emerged in Iraq in 2003, the US may have found a model that works in Iraq.

Court asks Trump to decide if Boeing must reveal Iran deal details after terror victims sue

Unpaid US terror victims seeking enforcement of $67m. judgment against Iran demand full disclosure of the company's controversial deal with Tehran.

Takeaways from int'l confab on counterterrorism: The threats are nowhere near over

Experts at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism's World Summit seemed very pessimistic as they discussed the proliferation of terror threats the world is currently facing.

Hezbollah leader boasts: We defeated ISIS in Syria

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah made a momentous public appearance to announce that the battle against ISIS has been won, stating clearly that he is receiving full backing from Tehran.

'The international community is failing to deal with Iran'

"Lebanon was kidnapped by a terror organization operated by another country," charges Israel's former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon," and the world has become accustomed to it."

Iraqi parliament rejects Iraqi Kurdish referendum

Turkey worried Kurdish question will spill over to their own country, Kurdish-Iraqi lawmaker Majid Shingali said the Kurds would not accept the rejection.

Bennett: Iran is Israel's number one existential threat

Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett charged that "modern Zionism has created a safe haven for the Jewish people, and Iran threatens this," at counter-terror conference.

Facebook's anti-terror chief divulges company's anti-extremism methods

Firm employs a network of 150 employees who track and monitor terror-related content on the social media platform to make sure it gets removed before it incites attackers to act.

UN nuclear watchdog chief: Iran playing by the rules of the deal

In April, US President Trump ordered a review of the suspension of sanctions on Iran related to the nuclear deal.

'If Assad wants to survive, he needs to keep Iran out of Syria'

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked addressed some of the major threats emanating from Israel's neighboring countries, warning that Syria's Assad has to counter the growing Iranian stronghold.

5,844 days later: Reflections on 9/11

The events of the day that prompted the war on terror, which continues on today.

European women among wives of ISIS fighters held by Iraq

Many Iraqis want revenge for the harsh treatment they received under the extremists' interpretation of Sunni Islam they imposed in Mosul and the other areas they seized in 2014.

PA releases prominent Palestinian activist on bail

Following his release on Sunday, Amro said that he will “continue to fight against human rights violations no matter where they take place.”

'Stop worrying about putting 'humpty dumpty' Syria back together again'

A former Pentagon official says that leaders shouldn't be wedded to old colonial borders.

Report: Syrian army controls entire Damascus-Deir al-Zor highway

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they had made further gains against IS a day after announcing an operation to capture northern and eastern parts of Deir al-Zor province.

Trump and Erdogan aim for closer ties despite US support for Kurds

Washington-Ankara ties strained by indictment of former Turkish economy minister for aiding Iran sanctions violations.

Iran is Israel's 'shaping trauma,' says ex-deputy chief of staff

Maj. Gen. Yair Golan identifies Iran as the most pressing threat preoccupying Israel in a recent talk with a Washington think tank.

Egypt archaeologists unearth goldsmith's tomb near Luxor

The site includes a courtyard and niche where a statue of the goldsmith Amenemhat and his wife and one of his sons, as well as two burial shafts.

Washington's back-and-forth with Egypt

The former ambassador to Egypt argues that Sisi is not a dictator like Qaddafi, and he "needs American support in order to sustain the reforms that he needs to change Egypt."