Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator U.S. President Donald Trump told a packed house at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, that he would lift all the sanctions against Syria, fulfilling a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Trump’s decision marks the biggest chance for Syrian prosperity since the beginning of the conflict which began in March 2011 in Deraa. After a lavish welcome to the Kingdom, Trump praised the transformation in Saudi Arabia, and credited it on MBS, and his major reform program known as Vision 2030. “In Syria, they’ve had their share of travesty, war, killing many…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The PKK announced on May 12 that they have ended their armed-struggle and have disbanded. Kurdish issues “can be resolved through democratic politics,” according to the announcement. In February, Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the PKK, wrote a letter from Imrali prison in Turkey, where he has been jailed since 1999. He called on the PKK to lay down its arms, saying “there is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realization of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way.” The PKK is a banned terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On May 7, the Indian armed forces launched a strategic attack on nine targets linked to the UN designated terrorist groups Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, located in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Vikran Misri, India’s Foreign Secretary, said the decision was made to carry out the “proportionate” strikes to bring the terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice as Pakistan had failed to act against terrorist infrastructures under its control. By midnight, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in New Delhi amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, and will…

Gaza city, May 7 , 2025 Israel has escalated its military campaign in Gaza, pivoting from a “clear and leave” approach to a “clear and hold” strategy that risks entrenching long-term occupation, according to defense analysts. The shift comes amid intensified airstrikes and a near-total blockade on aid, deepening one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history and igniting fierce international backlash. “This is not a temporary measure. ‘Clear and hold’ implies a deliberate effort to reoccupy Gaza, which will only prolong the cycle of violence,” said a former UN peacekeeping official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Humanitarian Catastrophe…

Port Sudan, May 7, 2025 — Sudan’s ongoing conflict has escalated dramatically, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launching a series of drone strikes on critical infrastructure in Port Sudan, a city once viewed as a relative safe haven. The attacks, which targeted the international airport, a naval base, fuel depots, and a power station over four consecutive days, mark a strategic shift toward attritional warfare, exacerbating a dire humanitarian situation and sparking regional diplomatic fallout. Military Developments and Diplomatic RuptureThe Sudanese army has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supplying drones to the RSF, allegations the UAE…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Twenty-two years have passed since the American invasion of Iraq, which destroyed the country, and Iraq has never recovered. The U.S. spent more than $1 trillion and lost about 4,500 troops in the effort to change the regime, which allowed American companies to loot the energy resources in Iraq. According to former Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Bin Faisal, America gifted Iraq to Iran on a golden platter. Iranian and American meddling is still the source of instability in Iraq today. Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein confirmed that the Arab Summit…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has occupied more territory in Syria, under a pretext of defending the Druze, a minority in Syria. The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen called for an immediate end to Israeli airstrikes. “I strongly condemn Israel’s continued and escalating violations of Syria’s sovereignty, including multiple air strikes in Damascus and other cities,” Pedersen wrote in a post on X. “I call for these attacks to cease at once and for Israel to stop endangering Syrian civilians and to respect international law and Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and independence,”…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentato On April 26, Hamas signaled readiness to negotiate a comprehensive deal to end the 18-month Gaza conflict, including the release of all Israeli hostages and a five-year ceasefire, according to a senior Palestinian official. The offer comes as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 Palestinians in renewed bombardments, exacerbating a humanitarian catastrophe described by the UN as “suffocating” Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. A Hamas delegation engaged Egyptian mediators in Cairo this week to discuss terms for halting the war, which erupted after the group’s October 7, 2023, deadly assault on Israel. The proposal, conveyed…

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…