Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israel attacked the defense ministry building twice, and near the presidential palace in Damascus on July 16. As the afternoon traffic drove by in the heart of the city, huge plumes of smoke billowed from the landmark building. This was the third day of Israeli airstrikes on Syria. Syrians have become used to Israel airstrikes. During the Assad regime, Israel carried out deadly attacks on an almost daily basis, eliminating Hezbollah and Iranian weapons supplies. After the fall of the regime on December 8, Israel carried out daily airstrikes across the country eliminating military…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has said he is hopeful about Lebanon’s future after meeting officials and discussing the need to disarm Hezbollah, and for the full withdrawal of Israeli military forces. Lebanese officials also were positive in comments following the latest round of discussions concerning the security situation in Lebanon. All eyes have been on Hezbollah, waiting for their response, but they too have been positive, although demanding. Their main demand centers on having Israel stop occupying Lebanon. On this point, Hezbollah and many others in Lebanon regardless of party affiliation, will not budge. …

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On Friday, PKK leaders burned their weapons in a cave in northern Iraq. “We voluntarily destroy our weapons, in your presence, as a step of goodwill and determination,” said Bese Hozat. The conflict has taken 30,000 lives over 30-years. The group’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called for disarmament in May, and said in a video earlier this week, that the move to disarm was a “voluntary transition from the phase of armed conflict to the phase of democratic politics and law”. “Today is a new day; a new page has opened in history. Today,…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have met several times since Netanyahu arrived for talks. Their agenda included Gaza, Iran, Syria, and Ukraine. While the two leaders work closely together as partners, they still have differences in their views. Netanyahu has been clear that he will not stop the attacks on Gaza until Hamas is eliminated as a military group and as the governmental authority. While the families of Israeli hostages are still waiting for their government to make a deal to release those few still alive and retrieve the…

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The wildfires burning in the countryside of Latakia are coming under control, but a few hot spots remain. Saturday night was very difficult as the winds picked up and worked against the firefighting efforts. The Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed Al-Saleh, announced in a post on the X platform, the establishment of a coordination room to deal with the accelerated expansion of the wildfires still buring on the Syrian northern coast. Hot temperatures, low humidity and gusting winds have spread the fires across a large area. Al-Saleh explained that the coordination…

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The Eastern Mediterranean is no longer just a geopolitical flashpoint—it is a global energy battleground. From Libya’s contested waters to Israel’s infrastructure race and Syria’s untapped reserves, the region is witnessing a complex struggle for control over the future of gas. It has been seven months since Syrian President Assad fell, but the country has not yet begun major rebuilding projects. Foreign investors are touted as the likely savior of Syria’s collapsed economy. However, Syria has plenty of resources on hand to finance their transformation into one of the most modern countries in…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The truce between Iran and Israel is just hours old, and already on shaky grounds. Israel Katz, Defense Minister of Israel, ordered “intense strikes” on the Iranian capital, Tehran, after accusing Iran of violating a truce brokered by the United States and Qatar. Iran denied the claim and warned its Iranian security forces to stand ready to respond to any Israeli violations of the ceasefire. The military in Iran has denied launching any missiles at Israel past the official ceasefire agreement, according to Iranian official media reports. The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon…

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator A direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran has intensified over the past six days, marking a dangerous shift from years of proxy hostilities. Israel began the war with an unprovoked attack on Iran on Friday, June 13 with airstrikes targeting Iranian military leaders, nuclear scientists and military installations.Iran has retaliated with multiple waves of ballistic missiles and drones.Both sides have hit residential areas as well as military sites, inflicting casualties and injuries in both countries. The destruction on both sides underscores the severity of the confrontation. U.S. President Donald Trump had initiated…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Iran responded to ongoing Israeli attacks by launching two waves of hypersonic missiles in the early hours of Wednesday, marking the sixth day of the conflict, which began with an unprovoked attack by Israel. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with his national security team did not result in a decision to attack Iran. A White House official stated that the meeting in the “Operations Room” lasted approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, without providing any further details. Among the options Trump is studying is the use of bombs…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On Friday the 13th, as the Middle East slept on the first day of the region’s weekend, Israel launched a massive preemptive strike on Iranian territory. The secret operation, codenamed “Rising Lion”, targeted nuclear facilities, missile production sites, nuclear scientists and high-ranking military officials, marking the most significant escalation between the two nations in decades. The Strike: Targets and Impact According to Israeli military sources, over 200 aircraft participated in the operation, striking key Iranian infrastructure across multiple provinces. Notable targets included: Natanz Nuclear Facility: Iran’s primary uranium enrichment site suffered heavy damage. The…