Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On February 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syria’s newly-appointed President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed security ties during a meeting in Ankara. The visit marked al-Sharaa’s second international trip since officially becoming Syria’s interim leader, having earlier met Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. At a joint news conference in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkiye was ready to partner with Syria, particularly when it came to fighting the armed group ISIL (ISIS) and Kurdish militias based in northeast Syria. “I would like to express our satisfaction for the strong commitment my brother…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa made his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, which was the same choice Donald Trump made in 2016. On February 2, Sharaa was received at King Khaled International Airport by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani accompanied him on the landmark visit to the oil-rich kingdom. Shibani had traveled to Riyadh last month to lay the groundwork for renewed Syrian-Saudi ties. Sharaa met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, where both leaders discussed the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On January 27, the European Union took the first step to ease sanctions on Syria, while the process is contingent upon the progress made by the new leadership in Damascus, following the December 8 departure of President Assad. The first restrictions likely to be eased concern the banking, energy, and transport sectors. They are considered essential to accelerating the war-torn country’s reconstruction, strengthening stability, and normalizing financial relations with the EU, which remains Syria’s biggest international donor. On January 6, the US issued a six-month sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On January 21, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s latest operation was aimed at “eradicating terrorism” and that it would be “extensive and significant.” The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has launched “Iron Wall”, a large-scale military raid in Jenin that has killed 12 Palestinians and injured 40 others. Jenin is in the West Bank, which came under Israeli occupation in 1967. In 2017, Jenin had a population of about 50,000 people, while the Jenin refugee camp had a population of about 10,000, housing Palestinians who were expelled from their homes during the 1948…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Battles are raging in the northeast region of Syria, between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) supported by a contingent of Turkish military. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has entered the fray on the side of Turkey, which had supported them in Idlib for years. Ahmad Sharaa is the current de facto leader of Syria, and the commander of HTS, formerly known as Jibhat al-Nusra, the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Recently, the SDF hit a Turkish military base and killed three soldiers at Ras al-Ayn near Hasakah. …

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator US President Donald J.Trump is now in office, and the Middle East collectively is waiting to see what will the US policy be, and will it help or hurt. Lebanon holds strategic interests for the US, and has a new President and Prime Minister. With so many diverse issues at play in Lebanon, Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed well known Lebanese journalist and writer, Jamal Cheaib, to get his take on the key challenges facing Lebanon. #1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): Lebanon has selected the President of the ICJ, Nawaf Salam, as a Prime Minister…

The Syrian caretaker government’s Defense Minister, Merhaf Abu Qasra, rejected the idea of the “SDF” forces maintaining a separate unit within the Syrian Army. Abu Qasra, in an interview with Reuters on Sunday, stated: “This talk does not make sense,” clarifying that the integration of “SDF” elements into the armed forces should be “within the structure of the Ministry of Defense, and they should be distributed in a military manner.” However, he added, “for them to remain as a military bloc within the Ministry of Defense, meaning a bloc within a larger institution, is not correct.” Reports on the ground…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect on January 19, after 15 months of war, and the deaths of more than 46,700 Palestinians, mainly women and children. Some are voicing concern that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is likely to break the ceasefire after the first phase for his political benefit. Israel has a long history of breaking agreements when it doesn’t suit them, and manufacturing a narrative about how they were the victim. However, this time it is different because on January 20, Donald Trump will be sworn into the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On January 13, the President of the International Court of Justice, Nawaf Salam, was designated Prime Minister of Lebanon by the newly elected President Joseph Aoun, after receiving the greatest support from among Lebanon’s 128 members of Parliament. Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, did not vote along with their fellow members of Parliament, and had preferred the other candidate, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. On January 9, Joseph Aoun was elected by the Lebanese parliament to be President of Lebanon, an office that had laid vacant for two years. Aoun enjoys the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his cabinet, “A new era has begun in Syria… Turkey has shown what kind of will it has to protect its survival and security. If it comes to that again, ‘we may come suddenly one night’. The circle is narrowing for the separatist organization and its extensions in Syria. As the government and the alliance, we will achieve our goal of a terror-free Turkey, one way or another. Of course, we hope this will happen safely. If this road is blocked and dynamited, then we will not hesitate to…