Author: Steven Sahiounie

Hamas is willing to discuss a deal to end the Gaza war that would involve the release of all Israeli hostages and a five-year truce, an official from the Palestinian group said on Saturday. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have claimed at least 35 lives in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions are rapidly deteriorating, with the UN warning of food shortages and spiralling humanitarian crisis. Hamas is open to an agreement to end the war in Gaza that would see all hostages released and secure a five-year truce, an official said Saturday as the group’s negotiators held talks with mediators. A Hamas delegation…

The US military said Sunday it has struck more than 800 Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of fighters, including leaders. Near-daily air raids under “Operation Rough Rider” aim to halt attacks on Red Sea shipping and restore US “deterrence”, officials said. The United States has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Houthi rebel fighters, including members of the group’s leadership, the US military said Sunday. Washington’s forces have hammered the Houthis with near-daily air strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed “Rough Rider”, seeking to end the threat they pose…

Israel’s army is flattening the remaining ruins of the city of Rafah on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, residents say, in what they fear is a part of a plan to herd the population into confinement in a giant camp on the barren ground.No food or medical supplies have reached the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip in nearly two months, since Israel imposed what has since become its longest ever total blockade of the territory, following the collapse of a six-week ceasefire. Israel relaunched its ground campaign in mid-March and has since seized swathes of land…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The Resistance Front (TRF) has denied involvement in the deadly attack on April 22, which left 26 tourists dead in the popular Baisaran meadow in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. In a post on X, TRF stated, “Any attribution of this act to TRF is false, hasty, and part of an orchestrated campaign to malign the Kashmiri resistance.” “Shortly after the attack in Pahalgam, a brief and unauthorized message was posted from one of our digital platforms. After an internal audit, we believe it resulted from a coordinated cyber intrusion – a familiar tactic in the Indian…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On April 20-21, a high-level U.S. delegation conducted a two-day visit to Tripoli and Benghazi. A series of meetings were held between Libyan officials and the American delegation. US President Donald Trump has tasked the State Department and the Pentagon to develop plans to help solve some of Libya’s challenges. The delegation included Vice Admiral J.T. Anderson, Commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet; Special Envoy to Libya Richard Norland; and Chargé d’Affaires Jeremy Brent. On April 20, the U.S. delegation met in Tripoli with senior Libyan military and civilian officials, including Chief of General…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Both sides have expressed positive reviews of the second round of talks in Rome held on April 19 between the US and Iran concerning Iran’s nuclear program, to conclude a new deal. The third round will be held next week. “I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death… That’s my first option. If there’s a second option, I think it would be very bad for Iran,” said US President Donald Trump. The time is right for a deal between the US and Iran. Trump…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On April 17, the Defense Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid Bin Salman al-Saud, met with the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, in Tehran. Prince Khalid is the son of King Salman, and brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In March 2023, China brokered a restoration of the diplomatic relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the relationship between the two powerful countries has continued to grow. “It is much better for brothers in the region to cooperate and help each other rather than to rely on others,” Khamenei said after the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The second round of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran will be held in Oman on April 19, with the Foreign Minister of Oman acting as the negotiations moderator. The first session was held on April 12 in Oman, and according to all sides was a productive meeting. The US has threatened Iran with a devastating military attack if Iran does not make a deal. Iran has pointed out that the United Nations Charter explicitly prohibited using force in international relations. Iran has said the format of indirect talks is necessary because of…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The U.S. faces escalating economic losses due to the ongoing trade war with China launched by U.S. President Donald Trump. Leading American corporations are caught in the crossfire due to their heavy reliance on the Chinese market. Many American corporate giants, such as Apple and Tesla, depend on China as a primary manufacturing hub. This makes any trade restrictions or tariffs imposed on products manufactured in China a significant obstacle to profitability for these companies. Semiconductor companies have suffered a shocking setback after China halted exports of certain critical raw materials used in these…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Iraq is a democracy in the midst of Middle Eastern turmoil and changing dynamics. To the west, Syria experienced a 14-year civil war, and regime change in December. To the east, Iran has been threatened with a US military attack after decades of meddling in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine. The Israeli war crimes and genocide carried out against the Palestinian people in Gaza have destabilized the entire region. Iraq suffered from decades of war and occupation and is still in the process of recovering from the 2003 US invasion, occupation and regime change.…