Middle East

By Shehab al-Makahleh • The bloc of four nations entailing Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates with overall population estimated at 75 million, occupying an area of 2.95 million square kilometers would become a regional power to counter Iran and any other regional country posing a threat …

Special Report • According to the documents at our disposal, the U.S. authorities and the Syrian Kurds reached an agreement past week on the boundaries of the Kurdish autonomy in the territory of Syria, which had been guaranteed to Kurds in case of capturing Raqqa and Al-Tabqah (34 miles …

The MENA region is anticipated to receive 195 million tourists within the next 13 years Despite many countries being marred by political conflict and violence, the Middle East and North Africa region is expected to become a popular tourist destination within the next 13 years. The region, often referred to …

Last month Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again suggested that a new national Syrian army should be created, adding that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) could form part of such an army. Turkey has influence over at least 2,000 FSA fighters in northwest Syria, which it uses as an allied proxy …

Ever since September 11, 2001, security concerns have played a central role in the United States’ migration policy – but never more aggressively so than now. Americans, anaesthetized by the War on Terror that just drones on, may have forgotten, but a tough and exhaustive vetting process has …

While the short-term outlook still looks uncertain for Iran, the larger fundamentals hugely favor it. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman hopes to exploit a window of opportunity while in Beijing to loosen China’s affiliations with Iran. But he faces long odds. The Saudi battle with Iran is fundamentally unequal …

By Finian Cunningham • Referring to ongoing peace talks on Syria co-sponsored by Russia, President Vladimir Putin said the negotiations marked the beginning of “rebuilding” this war-torn country, as well as other conflict zones in the Middle East region. Already several rounds of talks have been held in Kazakhstan’s …

After Friday’s phone call between United States President Donald Trump and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the White House now says that a Middle East peace conference is a real possibility. The American leader sends his advisor on Israel, Jason Greenblatt, to begin talks with Israelis and Palestinians. US …

With Donald Trump as the US new president, relations between Washington and Moscow are at stake. If any rapprochement takes place between the two countries, a new future will be in the offing for both Iraq and Syria. This all depends on how each of the two super …