Author: Steven Sahiounie

On June 25, the Russian Ministry of Defense released footage showing the elimination of an ISIS cell responsible for the recent deadly ambush in central Syria. In a statement, the MoD said that the terrorist cell was one of many trained by the US at al-Tanf garrison in Syria’s southeastern region. “The terrorist cells, that have been trained in al-Tanf area by Daesh [ISIS] terrorist organization, and whom the US considers as one of the tools of achieving its foreign policy priorities in Syria, are attacking the civilians and the Syrian civil facilities, including oil facilities,” the statement said. The MoD added…

Boris Johnson and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau joked about exposing their “pecs,” in an apparent attempt to mock Vladimir Putin UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the opportunity on Sunday to jokingly argue over whether they should undress, with Johnson saying that showing off his “pecs” would make him appear “tougher than Putin.” As Johnson and Trudeau sat down for talks with US President Joe Biden and the rest of the G7 leaders at a summit in Krun, Germany, the British PM asked whether the Western leaders should “take our clothes off.” Amid mild laughter, Johnson quipped “we have…

The US held a secret meeting with top military officials from Israel and Arab countries in March to explore how they could coordinate against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported on June 25. Officials from the Middle East and the US told the New York-based newspaper that the secret meeting was focused on countering Iran’s growing missile and drone capabilities. The meeting was held at Sharm El Sheikh, a resort city in Egypt. This was the first time the US gathered Israeli and Arab military chiefs to discuss how to coordinate against Iran, which is seen as a common threat. Following the…

The South China Sea area is still extremely unstable. China seems to be preparing for dramatic changes in the region. In the face of accelerated training of Taiwanese troops, Beijing in turn is conducting military exercises. The drills are a strong signal to other countries in the region, such as Japan and the United States, that Beijing considers the Taiwan issues an internal Chinese problem. Chinese authorities claim that “the drills are defensive in nature and were not aimed against other countries”. On June 20, China successfully tested a land-based mid-course anti-missile defense system aimed at interception of incoming missiles,…

The military bloc might send entire divisions to its eastern flank to deter Russia, El Pais reports The upcoming NATO summit in Madrid might see the military bloc decide to send thousands of troops to Russia’s doorstep, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Sunday, citing its sources. The bloc, which is set to “re-invent” itself next week, will also reportedly cut all ties with Moscow, the paper added. NATO member states are ready to turn Eastern Europe into a “fort” hosting thousands of soldiers and a large quantity of military equipment amid fear of a potential Russian assault, El Pais said, citing sources familiar with…

A deadly shooting at a WeatherTech facility in the US state of Illinois on Saturday occurred after a temporary employee robbed two other workers and was confronted, police said. Police in the village of Bolingbrook, a Chicago suburb, were called on a report of a shooting at the facility around 6:25 a.m. and found three people shot, police said, NBC News reported. One victim died, another was in critical condition, and the third was treated at a hospital and released, Police Chief Mike Rompa said. The suspect fled when police arrived but was arrested later that morning, police said. He…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The leader of the group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, recently stated that the dispute with Syria is over, and the relationship between Hamas and Damascus is starting a new phase.  He praised Syria for its unwavering support of the Palestinian resistance cause. Hamas ideology is viewed by many as Muslim Brotherhood ideology, which is similar to the Radical Islamic political ideology followed by Al Qaeda and ISIS. Founded in 1987, Hamas opposed the secular approach of the PLO, and in 2001 the political bureau established new headquarters in Damascus, Syria. One unnamed official said the…

On June 22, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned Lebanon that if needed, the Israeli army “will march once again to Beirut, Sidon and Tyre”. Gantz made the warning while speaking at a rally in Kiryat Shmona to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Gantz said that should Israel need to carry out a military operation in Lebanon, it will be “powerful and accurate.” “It will levy a heavy price for the Iranian Hezbollah and Lebanese shipments. In the face of a threat to the citizens of Israel, no infrastructure used to harm us will be immune,”…

Mines planted by the Ukrainian armed forces keep 12 vessels, trapped in the port of Kherson, Deputy Head of the Region’s Civil-Military Administration Kirill Strimosov said. “There are about 12 ships in port, the majority of them are Turkish vessels. There is also a Syrian ship and a ship flying the Seychelles flag,” Strimosov was quoted by Novosti News Agency as saying. Strimosov stressed that the ships could not leave the port due to the actions of the Ukrainian army, which mined the exit to the Black Sea through the mouth of the Dnieper-Bug near the city of Ochakov in…

Amid undergoing rescue operations following the powerful quake that struck Afghanistan, the Taliban appeals for international support. A Taliban official said that the death toll of the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces has reached 1,500. According to the Taliban official, the earthquake left more than 2,000 people injured. In the same context, the Taliban movement has appealed for international support, as rescue efforts are being hindered by heavy rain and a lack of resources. The earthquake struck areas that were already suffering the effects of heavy rain, causing rockfalls and mudslides that hampered rescue efforts. Humanitarian and economic crisis Abdul Qahar Balkhi,…