Middle East

Syrians Flee Kurdish-Held Area Ahead of Deadline
Syrians Flee Kurdish-Held Area Ahead of Deadline

Civilians fled a Kurdish-held region of northern Syria on Friday before a deadline set by the army, which seeks to expand its control over the area after driving Kurdish forces from Aleppo. The government is seeking to extend its authority nationwide following the ousting of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The US envoy for ...

Trump Announces 'Board of Peace' Formed for Gaza
Trump Announces 'Board of Peace' Formed for Gaza

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a Gaza "board of peace," a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. "It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that the members of the body will be ...

Yemen Prime Minister Quits, Replaced by Foreign Minister
Yemen Prime Minister Quits, Replaced by Foreign Minister

The prime minister of Yemen has been replaced by his foreign minister after the premier submitted the government's resignation, the country's Saudi-backed presidential body said. The move comes after weeks of tensions between Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following a failed push by Abu Dhabi-backed separatists to seize ...

What Iran’s Fate Could Mean for Hezbollah and Lebanon
AnalysisWhat Iran’s Fate Could Mean for Hezbollah and Lebanon

As Iran’s nationwide protest movement intensifies, a key question is dominating regional and international discourse: what lies ahead for the Islamist regime if unrest continues, and how might its potential collapse impact Middle Eastern states shaped by four decades of Iranian policy? Since Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, Iran has ...

Exclusive: Lindsey Graham Says Arab States are “Not a Very Good Ally”
Exclusive: Lindsey Graham Says Arab States are “Not a Very Good Ally”

Lindsey Graham U.S. Senator (R-South Carolina) and Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that if Arab countries intervened on Iran’s behalf to block U.S. military action in Tehran, then “they are not a very good ally,” warning that such behavior would call future partnerships into question. He added that he believes “the regimes ...

Yemen Presidential Body Sacks Last UAE-Backed Member
Yemen Presidential Body Sacks Last UAE-Backed Member

Yemen's eight-seat presidential body on Thursday dismissed its last UAE-backed member, a southern separatist, consolidating Saudi Arabia's full control over the country's decision-making body. In December, forces from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council briefly captured two key provinces, infuriating Saudi Arabia, which rolled back their ...

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman Convince Trump to ‘Give Iran a Chance:’ Senior Saudi Official
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman Convince Trump to ‘Give Iran a Chance:’ Senior Saudi Official

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led efforts to talk U.S. President Donald Trump out of an attack on Iran, fearing “grave blowbacks in the region,” a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday. The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good ...

Hamas Says Technocratic Committee Key to Consolidating Gaza Truce
Hamas Says Technocratic Committee Key to Consolidating Gaza Truce

A senior Hamas official on Thursday welcomed the formation of a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, saying it would help consolidate the ceasefire and prevent a return to fighting. Egypt, a mediator in indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee that ...

Lebanon’s Disarmament Gamble: Fragile Gains and Uncertain Path Forward
Lebanon’s Disarmament Gamble: Fragile Gains and Uncertain Path Forward

Lebanon is preparing to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons north of the Litani River, a step that will test whether the state has the capacity to follow through on the government’s stated commitment to disarm the group. On January 8, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced that it had completed the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani. ...

Trump Says Killings in Iran Subsiding
Trump Says Killings in Iran Subsiding

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had received assurances that the deadly crackdown on protests in Iran had come to an end. The U.S. president nevertheless maintained ambiguity over a possible American military intervention, as the international community remains on high alert in the face of a major crisis in the Middle ...

Yemen Separatist Chief Calls for Protests in First Message Since Disappearance
Yemen Separatist Chief Calls for Protests in First Message Since Disappearance

The UAE-backed leader of a Yemeni separatist movement on Thursday called for protests in Aden in a message to a TV channel, his first public statement since his disappearance over a week ago. Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, the leader of the Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), called for "the people of South Arabia to rally in the ...

U.S. Says Gaza 'Phase Two' Beginning With Goal of Hamas Demilitarization
U.S. Says Gaza 'Phase Two' Beginning With Goal of Hamas Demilitarization

President Donald Trump's envoy said Wednesday that a plan to end the Gaza war was now moving to Phase Two with a goal of disarming Hamas, despite a number of Israeli strikes during the ceasefire. "We are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President's 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, ...