US envoy says Hezbollah involvement in Iran-Israel war would be ‘very bad decision’
The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack warned Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Thursday against getting involved in the...Geostrategy
MENA Brief | June 19: GCC central banks hold interest rates steady, Diriyah House launched in London
As most currencies in the region are pegged to the US dollar, monetary policy follows the decisions taken in Washington,...Business Economy Geostrategy
Libya’s east-based government threatens to block oil exports
Libya's internal turmoil may worsen with the head of the country's east-based administration threatening to block oil and gas exports...Hamad also said that he had "frozen" 2022 oil revenues "equivalent to more than 130 billion dinars" (around $27 billion) as a first step
He accused the government in Tripoli of squandering energy revenues by making "extravagant spending", without elaborating
Kuwait, UN sign MoU to enhance cooperation in counter terrorism
NEW YORK, US - Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed...A training program for Kuwaitis and the establishment of special workshops in the field of combating terrorism was discussed.
The country has tried to strengthen global partnerships in combating terrorism, Kuwait's assistant minister said.
Rebels seize military base, pose serious challenge to Putin’s rule
Rebel mercenaries have seized a crucial military base and are making their way north towards Moscow, presenting a serious security...Counter-terrorist operation initiated to halt their advance towards Moscow
Wagner force moves through Lipetsk region; civilians urged to stay home
Putin slams ‘treason’ as forces tackle Wagner revolt
After Putin's speech accusing him of treason, Prigozhin launched a second broadside. "On treason of the motherland: the president is...The rapidly escalating events mark the most serious challenge to the Kremlin chief's long rule, and Russia's most serious security crisis since the strongman came to power in l999
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, once a close Putin ally, said his troops had taken control of the military command centre and bases in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don
Iran dismisses US claims on Russia’s use of Shahed drones in Ukraine war
Tehran, Iran--Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations has rejected the claim by the United States and its allies about...Iran's mission to the UN said that claims are made to influene the UN head's report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231
US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfiled claimed in a joint statement at the Security Council Stakeout that Iran and Russia were boosting military ties
Israel acknowledges failure to prevent attack on Palestinians
In a rare acknowledgment, the Israeli army said that it "failed" to prevent an attack by Jewish settlers on a...The Israeli army spokesman said troops sought to stop Israelis from attacking Turmus Ayya but they were stretched too thin
Taking a strong note of the attack, the EU's top representative to the Palestinians said Israel had failed to meet its obligations to protect Palestinians
Morocco puts off meeting of Arab allies of Israel due to West Bank violence
With violence escalating between Palestinians and Israelis, Morocco has postponed a meeting of Arab allies of Israel it was due...Top diplomats from Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE as well as Morocco joined last year's meeting with the Israeli foreign minister
The country normalized its relations with Israel more than two years back as part of a deal with the US to recognize its annexation of Western Sahara
UN convoy crosses from Syria regime areas to rebel-held Idlib
The 10-truck convoy reach rebel-held Al-Nayrab in Idlib province from the direction of regime-held Saraqib, headed for storage facilities near...A February 6 earthquake devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, including areas of the war-torn country's Idlib region that are controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The UN largely delivers relief to Syria's northwest via neighboring Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing -- the only way for aid to enter without Damascus's involvement.
Oman seizes 6 million captagon pills, arrests members of smuggling network
MUSCAT, OMAN - Oman announced the seizure of over six million captagon pills during a bust aided by Saudi Arabia that...Omani authorities did not specify the intended destination of the drug shipment, but neighboring Saudi Arabia is believed to be the largest market for the drug.
The vast majority of the region's captagon is produced in Syria and Lebanon and smuggled to its main consumer market in the Gulf.
French envoy meets key Lebanese players on ‘consultative’ mission
Mired in a crippling economic crisis since 2019, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker cabinet for more than a..."This is a consultative mission... to ensure the country moves on from the political impasse," French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters.
He said he was holding "the necessary talks with all players in order to immediately end the political deadlock".
