Iraq: Stabilising the Contested District of Sinjar

What’s new? In October 2020, Baghdad and Erbil signed an agreement intended to build stability in Iraq’s Sinjar district through a new administration and security structure that would let displaced people return. The deal is only partly fulfilled, however. Turkey is intensifying bombardment of the PKK and its affiliates in the area.

The stumbling blocks facing Turkey’s new operation plan in Syria

Kobani, Manbij and Tel Rifaat stand out as the main targets in a prospective new Turkish operation in northern Syria, but Erdogan might narrow his objectives to avoid tensions with the United States.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised the prospect of a fresh military operation in Syria, trying his hand once again at creating a safe zone with a depth of about 30 kilometers (19 miles) along the border — a plan he had to shelve in October 2021 after failing to get a green light from Russia and the United States.

Nuclear Iran NOT an “Acceptable Risk”

One might well wonder if the CNAS study is a “trial balloon” from the Biden Administration to begin preparing the nation and world psychologically for the advent of Iran’s “Islamic bomb.”

One might also wonder if the CNAS study is an attempt to justify consequent U.S. retreat from the Middle East, not as another humiliating defeat, but as a prudent and wise reprioritization of resources to meet the threat from China.

Top cmdr. visits new secret underground base as Iran displays new drone, missile

Iran’s most senior military commander visits one of the Army’s secret underground bases, which houses a huge fleet of cutting-edge Iranian drones.

During his visit on Saturday, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri got a first-hand account of the Iranian Army’s capabilities in the development of different types of military, combat and long-range drones.

Defying US, Turkey says doesn’t need ‘permission’ to launch new offensive in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defied a warning from the United States about launching a new offensive into northern Syria.

Erdogan said on Monday Turkey will not wait for Washington’s “permission” to launch a new military operation inside the Arab country. “One cannot fight terrorism while waiting for the permission of whoever,” Erdogan told a group of journalists.

UN Resolution 181 must be repealed: The creation of Israel and the partition of Palestine was a terrible mistake

It was understandable why, on 29 November, 1947, the United Nations (UN) passed Resolution 181, partitioning Palestine and creating a Jewish state. In the wake of the Holocaust, there was a widespread sentiment that there should be some form of recompense to the Jews, even if it came at the expense of those who had nothing to do with the Holocaust.

Iranian Protesters Are Angry About More Than Just Food Prices

Since early May, Iran has been rocked by protests over a precipitous rise in food prices, triggered by the government’s decision to cut existing subsidies on food products. Since then, prices have gone up dramatically, with staples such as imported wheat increasing by up to 300 percent and cooking oil by close to 400 percent.

Sweden and Finland’s NATO Bids Hit a Roadblock Named Erdogan

As of last week, NATO seemed well on its way to expanding, when Finland and Sweden formally submitted their applications for membership. When they officially join, becoming the 31st and 32nd member of the alliance, it could potentially mark the fastest accession process in the alliance’s history. This is reflective of the sudden about-face in the two countries’ foreign policies in the months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.