US combat troops withdraw from Al-Harir airbase in Iraqi Kurdistan

Officials say that the two main airbases used by US troops over the last 18 years of occupation are now under the control of the Iraqi army

Saad Hariri and the collapse of Lebanon

The Syrian regime-change war and Lebanon's economic collapse happened under Saad Hariri's watch, but the Future Movement leader is seldom mentioned for the pivotal role he played in Lebanon's unravelling

US military convoys come under attack in Iraq

Iraqi resistance groups have stepped up strikes against US military convoys in recent months

US forces open fire on residential areas in northern Iraq

Despite claiming the US 'combat mission' in Iraq ended last December, the Pentagon has kept at least 2,500 soldiers deployed across the country

US army steals new shipment of Syrian oil as Damascus works to protect wheat resources

Damascus says Washington and its Kurdish proxy militias are responsible for plundering 80 percent of Syria's daily oil output, and are also working to damage the nation's vast wheat fields

Israel deploys advanced warning system against anti-tank weapons

Despite the battle-proven effectiveness of the Trophy system, ATGMs remain a potent threat against Israel's military forces

Washington bolsters military presence in Syria’s oil-rich northeast

The US has intensified its oil plundering campaign in Syria with the help of the SDF and Kurdish officials in Iraq

Exclusive: Tracking the flow of stolen Syrian oil into Iraq

While the US role in looting Syria’s resources is well-documented, less is known about the complicity of Iraq's Kurdistan region in its transportation and distribution

‘Saudi ambassador sowing sedition in Lebanon’: Hezbollah official

Sheikh Qawook stated that silence in the face of Saudi interference in Lebanese affairs exposes all those who falsely raised slogans on the preservation of Lebanon's independence and sovereignty

Iraqi Kurdistan official makes secret trip to Iran: Report

The KDP presidential candidate reportedly assured Iranian officials that the Iraqi Kurdistan region is not being used for US-Israeli spy operations

The ultimate explainer to Lebanon’s 2022 elections

Even the Lebanese struggle to understand the mechanics of their elections. So The Cradle has provided a handy guide to understand the basics.

Saudi ambassador hosts Lebanese officials, candidates weeks before elections

Among those present were Prime Minister Najib Mikati and far-right leader Samir Geagea, who was recently charged for last year's massacre of unarmed protestors in Beirut

Lebanese PM says no effort will be spared in mending ties with Gulf nations

Relations between Beirut and Gulf states suffered a major blow in late 2021 when diplomatic ties between them were severed

An American ploy to pump stolen Palestinian gas into Lebanese homes?

The American offer to supply Lebanon's energy needs via an Arab Pipeline through Egypt, Jordan and Syria has one glaring downside. It will likely be Israeli gas lighting up Lebanon's grids.

Fuel paralysis: How 14 private companies control Lebanon’s oil supply and set its prices

Lebanon's energy crisis is a consequence of the state allowing 14 private companies to monopolize and set prices in this most strategic sector. How then to break this monopoly by the country's political elite, when the oil cartel is run by the same powers who govern Lebanon?

Lebanese authorities announce government formation one year after the last one resigned

The new Lebanese government is expected to hold its first official meeting on 13 September

Britain’s Secret Propaganda War in Lebanon

Leaks show UK Foreign Office directed influence operations targeting Lebanese youth and civil society to shape the direction of mass protests in service of British interests.