Earthquake strikes northeastern Afghanistan

The 5.3 magnitude earthquake is said to have killed eight people, with reports suggesting the death toll could rise

US, Israel start week of military drills involving thousands of troops, nuclear bombers

The military exercises come at a time when US officials are visiting Israel to 'understand' the new government's plans to illegally annex the occupied West Bank

Why is Egypt’s Navy commanding a NATO-led coalition in the Red Sea?

In recent years Egypt has been developing and strengthening its navy in and around the Red Sea, but this is arguably part of a broader US strategy for the region.

Israel, Morocco sign natural gas exploration deal

Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations in December 2020, following the suspension in 2000

US-Turkiye brinkmanship won’t reach a point of no return

A conflict of interest between Ankara and Washington over Syria will likely see the two drift apart, with Turkiye aligning more closely with Eurasian powers.

Turkey in Yemen: An evolving foreign policy

Throughout the eight years of war in Yemen, Ankara has seen its policies towards the country shift several times due to Turkey’s own changing political and economic situation.

US threatens peace in Cyprus by lifting arms embargo

Cyprus fears Turkey might drag it into a conflict if tensions with Greece in the Aegean Sea lead to war

Turkey summons Greek envoy over armed presence on disputed Aegean islands

Ankara insists these islands must remain demilitarized in line with international law

US court orders Hezbollah to pay compensation over 2006 war

Israel owes Lebanon hundreds of millions worth of damages from an oil spill caused by a missile attack in 2006

Cholera outbreak in Syria poses serious threat to region: UN official

The outbreak is likely to exacerbate an already dire health crisis in Syria's US and Turkish-occupied northern and northwestern regions

How the US controls Lebanon’s energy supply

Far from helping Lebanon solve its acute energy crisis, the US is leveraging Egypt’s gas supply to pressure Beirut over US-brokered maritime border talks with Israel

Time for Palestine to claim its stolen gas

Hezbollah has threatened Israel with war if Lebanon is not allowed to exploit its share in the Karish gas field. Now, the Palestinian resistance may do the same over their “stolen gas” off the Gaza Strip.

Putin revs up Russia’s consequential ties with Iran, Turkey

All eyes will be on Iran's Astana Summit next week, as geopolitical events accelerate Moscow’s drive to boost relations with Tehran and Ankara

Turkey and Israel to re-establish diplomatic representation

Tehran ahs called allegations they sought to attack Israeli citizens in Turkey 'baseless allegations used to destroy relations between Turkey and Iran'

Israeli FM expected in Turkey on the same day as Saudi leader’s visit

Israel and Saudi Arabia have made significant moves towards normalization in the lead up to a visit by the US president next month

It is time for Israel’s gut punch

Today, Israel bombed Damascus Airport, tomorrow it could strike the Presidential Palace. Despite the threat of war, Israel must now receive swift, fierce retaliatory measures.

How Mariupol will become a key hub of Eurasian integration

Mariupol was battered by Ukraine's right-wing Azov battalion well before Moscow launched its military ops. In Russian hands, this strategic steelworks port can transform into a hub of Eurasian connectivity.

Testing the waters: Could Turkey’s Russian relations sink over Ukraine?

Neither friend nor foe, Turkey and Russia have backed opposing sides in several regional conflicts, yet managed to avoid direct confrontation. Now the Ukraine crisis poses a serious challenge.

Beyond the EastMed pipe dream: Can Turkey become Europe’s gas hub?

The Ukraine crisis presents a unique opportunity for Turkey to realize its long-term vision of transforming itself into a global gas transit hub. But will the US, Russia, Iran, and the EU allow it?

Turkey: Nerve center for ISIS fugitives, weapons, finance

In Turkey, convicted ISIS members roam free and their weapons easily cross borders. Even Turkish intelligence admits Turkey has become the nerve center of ISIS activity.

From the Black Sea to the East Med, don’t poke The Russian Bear

The US shouldn't have poked the Russian Bear. Now it is fully awake: after Ukraine, the Russians are likely to do a clean sweep of foreign belligerents poking around the East Med and the Black Sea.

Erdogan visits UAE to ‘accelerate’ the improvement of relations

Strained relations between the UAE and Turkey were mended in November 2021, when Abu Dhabi signed significant economic agreements with Ankara

US envoy meets Lebanese president to discuss Lebanon-Israel maritime border talks

Hochstein's visit to Lebanon comes a week after he traveled to Israel to mediate between Beirut and Tel Aviv

Erdogan in Kiev, Putin in Beijing: can neo-Ottomanism fit into Greater Eurasia?  

Reporting from Istanbul: As the world turns further over monumental announcements from the Putin-Xi summit in Beijing, Turkey's Erdogan keeps walking a thinning tightrope between NATO and Eurasia

Russia opens doors for Iran’s Eurasian integration

Raisi and Putin's January meeting may have seemed anticlimactic, but Russia is now opening doors for Iran's Eurasian integration

Israel, Lebanon maritime border talks to continue

Exploration in the potentially gas-rich area has so far been hampered by the maritime border issue

West Asia transforms: Twenty Arab states in China’s BRI sights

‘A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.’ So says a Chinese proverb, and nowhere is this truer than in crisis-ridden West Asia, now a major focus of Beijing’s BRI vision to bring infrastructure, connectivity and economic growth to this struggling region

To survive, Lebanon needs to get real

As Lebanon's economy continues plunging, it needs to look beyond 'aid and bailouts' to craft a longterm economic plan with friendly neighbors

Two years on, the Soleimani spirit gathers clout

The US may have assassinated Soleimani, but the illegal aggression has not thwarted the Quds Force general's plans for West Asia one bit, and may even have accelerated them

Frenemies: Russia and Turkey’s ‘cooperative rivalry’

Russia and Turkey are often mistakenly cast as allies. Their active rivalry in some of Eurasia's biggest zones of conflict is only likely to grow as Ankara seeks a seat at the Big Table.