Author: Steven Sahiounie

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov confirmed, during a joint press conference on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem in the Syrian capital, that Syria and Russia have diplomatic relations in various fields and work is underway to strengthen them, indicating that the Russian delegation held constructive talks with the new Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous.Borisov said, “Moscow handed Damascus last July a Russian project on expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, indicating that the new agreement between Syria and Russia includes more than 40 new projects in the energy…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanon has been faced with political upheavals, and the huge explosion which destroyed the Beirut Port.  Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse asked a noted expert on Lebanon, Dr. Marwa Osman, to explain the recent visit of French President Macron to Beirut, and what it portends.   Steven Sahiounie (SS): Recently, France’s President Macron met with Mohammed Raad of Hezbollah. Do you think France is changing their position on Hezbollah? Marwa Osman (MO): I don’t think it is a matter of position, rather a matter of a realistic view to the Lebanese political arena. Who hold the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Centuries ago, the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea was the center of the world. Today, we are facing a new dispute which could erupt into a regional war in those historical waters, as Turkey and Greece face off in a dispute over borders, gas fields, national pride and alliances. Greece and Cyprus have accused Turkey of breaching their sovereignty by drilling in their waters. On August 10, Turkey sent the Oruc Reis research vessel and an escorting flotilla of warships to the waters between Cyprus and the Greek islands of Kastellorizo and Crete,…

On Friday, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense confirmed the destruction of two tunnels used by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) in its criminal operations. “A joint force from the headquarters of the 8th Brigade of the 7th Division, and a force from the headquarters of the 1st Regiment, the brigade above, and a processing detachment from the field engineering battalion of the 7th Division managed to find two tunnels, the first of 40 meters long closed with a dirt berm, and upon opening the earth berm, six packages of homemade C-4 were found,” the Iraqi security forces said. The statement added…

A U.S. military aircraft was observed on Friday entering Ukrainian airspace and flying across the country towards the Crimean Peninsula.Using flight radar websites, Twitter users were able to track a U.S. B-52 bomber entering Ukraine’s western region from neighboring Poland, where the aircraft was later seen traveling towards the Azov Sea. The U.S. flight is of great interest because it is rare to see an American aircraft enter Ukraine, let alone, approach the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia claims as its territory.Furthermore, it is not exactly clear what the Russian response to this flight will be; however, the Russian military has…

Greece announced Thursday evening that there are no scheduled talks between them and Turkey about the growing tensions between the two countries in the eastern Mediterranean.Greece denied the announcement made by NATO about “technical talks” between Athens and Ankara to solve the ongoing crisis in the eastern Mediterranean.The Greek denial came hours after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced in a tweet that Greece and Turkey would hold talks at NATO headquarters with the aim of avoiding any unseen confrontations in the eastern Mediterranean, where countries differ on maritime borders and gas exploration rights.Stoltenberg said that “after the talks I had…

Twitter was abuzz on Friday when video footage showing a crashed Chinese military aircraft first surfaced on the social media platform.Rumors began to quickly spread that the Chinese aircraft was an Su-35 jet that was shot down over the Strait of Taiwan by the Taiwanese air defenses.However, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense responded a few hours later, stating that all claims about their air defenses shooting down a Chinese aircraft are untrue.The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense issued the following announcement on its official website:“In response to the Internet spread of ‘Taiwan shot down a CCP SU-35 aircraft?’ The Air Force…

The U.S.-led Coalition was targeted on Thursday by a roadside bomb in the Dhi Qar Governorate of southeastern Iraq, the Iraqi Security Media Cell reported.“An explosion from an explosive device targeted the convoy of logistical support companies for the International Coalition Forces along the highway in the Dhi Gar Governorate, leaving no significant losses,” the statement began.According to the Iraqi security forces, their troops were escorting the International Coalition convoy as it was traveling through the southeastern part of the country.“As the security forces accompanying the convoy monitored suspicious movements of one of the vehicles in which two suspects were…

The Iranian Armed Forces unveiled a new radar system on Wednesday after announcing that they have 27 new military achievements.According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the new Kashef-99 radar is a 3D mobile phased array system with a range of 12 kilometres used to detect small aircraft.The new Kashef-99 radar is capable of spotting 300 targets simultaneously.The radar system has been designed and produced at the New Technologies Research Center of the Air Defense Force of the Iranian Army.

Turkey issued two navigational telexes over the planned Russian live fire drills in the eastern Mediterranean on Wednesday, the Greek publication Ekathimerini reported.According to the publication, Turkey issued the telexes because their vessels are currently conducting seismic surveys in an area near the Greek island of Kastellorizo in the eastern Mediterranean.“Issued by the Turkish navy’s Office of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography, navtex number 1102/20 announces exercises for September 8-22 covering an area south of Kastellorizo where the Turkish seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis is currently active, but which is outside the Greek continental shelf and Athens’ jurisdiction,” the publication reported.The…