Author: Steven Sahiounie

The incident occurred at 20:40 GMT on Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said without providing further details. A ship was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, the UKMTO said on Friday. “Investigations are ongoing. Vessel and crew are safe…Vessels transiting the area are advised to exercise caution,” the notice reads. The UKMTO did not give details on the possible cause of the explosion. The International Maritime Security Construct, a consortium of countries officially tasked with maintaining order and security in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and Southern Red…

Syria condemns in the strongest terms the recent US airstrike on areas near the Iraqi border describing the move as a “cowardly” act, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday, adding that such actions will result in the escalation of tensions in the region. “Syria condemns in the strongest terms the cowardly US aggression on areas in Deir Ez-Zor near the Syrian-Iraqi border, which is inconsistent with international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Syria warns that it [this move] will lead to consequences that will escalate the situation in the region,” the ministry said, as cited by…

Russia has threatened Israel with readiness to attack IDF fighters. The special envoy of the President of Russia Alexander Lavrentyev made a report in which he emphasized the unwillingness of the Israeli side to fulfill the agreements reached between Israel and Russia to de-escalate the situation in Syria. Lavrentyev noted that Moscow’s patience has completely dried up, and if Israel does not give up aggressive actions against the Arab Republic in the near future, Russia will be ready to attack Israeli aircraft, obviously, not only over Syria, but also in the airspace over neighboring countries, or in international airspace. “Sooner or…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Americans in Texas and several other states have been badly hit by a severe snowstorm and accompanying electricity outages, with water shortages due to frozen and burst water pipes. As the global TV audience watched Americans suffering the effects of freezing temperatures, lack of electricity, food shortages, and numerous deaths resulting from the weather conditions, many in Syria watched and said, “So what? We suffer every winter, and are without a steady supply of electricity every day.” Syrians have had to suffer ten years of an American foreign policy designed to force ‘regime change’…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator President Biden spoke Friday at the Munich Security Conference, aiming to convince foreign allies that the US will work with them on issues ranging from arms control, COVID-19, cyber hacking, and climate change while renewing the transatlantic partnership. Importantly, he wants to renew the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by finding a path back to the negotiating table. In a statement, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, “The United States would accept an invitation from the European Union High Representative to attend a meeting of the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The relationship between Russia and the West, already in a post-Cold War chill, has come under new pressure over the status of Alexei Navalny, and the European Union has threatened sanctions on Russia. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, “Relations have been consistently torn apart by the European Union.” To understand the current situation and forecast future possibilities, Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse reached out to Mateusz Piskorski, Ph.D., political scientist, founder of the European Center for Geopolitical Analysis, and editor of Mysl Polska weekly magazine. In 2001, he graduated in Political Science at the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator US President Joe Biden wants to “End the Yemen War” by cutting support to the Saudi-led coalition and focusing on diplomacy to end the six-year conflict in one of the world’s poorest countries, which has brought 30 million Yemenis close to famine. The US has a history of looking for a quick fix, without considering the complex reality on the ground. Yemen’s conflict is multifaceted, includes many actors, and can’t be solved in a rushed political agreement. Biden may be considered for the Noble Peace Prize if his administration could bring peace to Yemen;…

It transpired the other evening that the impeachment managers were not trying to punish Donald Trump, but to prevent ‘the seeds of hatred he planted’, according to Representative Diana DeGette. Watch a live broadcast from Washington DC, where the US Senate is about to proceed with the former US President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. Tonight Trump’s lawyers will take the floor and deliver their arguments in his defence. One of Trump’s attorneys, David Schoen, told Bloomberg on Thursday the defence would spend up to four hours to deliver their case, even though each side has been given a 16-hour…

The price of Brent crude rose above $62 per barrel for the first time since 24 January 2020, according to trading data. As of 16:34 GMT, the price of April futures for Brent rose by 1.67 percent to $62.16 per barrel, March futures for WTI oil were up by 1.48 percent to $59.1 per barrel. Crude prices collapsed in 2020 when the OPEC+ agreement fell apart after its parties failed to negotiate an extension to cuts on oil output, causing an increase in oil supply which soon faced plunging demand, caused by the coronavirus infection spread. Oil producers were forced…

The Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami announced on Saturday, an increase in the range and speed of its anti-armor and air missiles. Hatami indicated that the solid fuel composite production line, which was launched today in Iran’s defense industries, will dramatically increase the range and speed of anti-armor and anti-air surface-to-surface missiles at low altitudes, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported. The Iranian Defense Minister said last Wednesday that despite the embargo imposed on his country, it has made tremendous achievements in the air industry. He said his country has made significant achievements in recent years and reached solid products…