Author: Steven Sahiounie

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin won’t say who was behind a recent rocket attack on an American airbase in Iraq, but his eyes are on Iran, and he says the US will strike again “at a time and place of our own choosing.” At least 10 missiles rained down on the Ain al-Asad airbase in the Iraqi province of Anbar on Wednesday, killing one US civilian contractor on the coalition base. The attack came after President Joe Biden ordered an airstrike on Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria – which was similarly said to be a response to a previous rocket…

There will be no negotiations between Iran and the United States on any matter before Washington removes illegal sanctions it has unilaterally imposed on Tehran, an informed security source tells Press TV. The security source, which talked to Press TV on condition of anonymity on Sunday, noted that the Western countries’ interpretation of recent remarks by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about a new plan for negotiations with the United States are erroneous and no such plan exists. “The idea of a step-by-step plan for starting talks between Iran and the United States has been…

Russian and Syrian military forces have launched a barrage of missiles at makeshift refineries in Syria’s northwestern province of Aleppo, causing a massive blaze as hundreds of tankers caught fire in the area that is controlled by Turkish troops and their allied Takfiri militants. Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a series of strikes were launched from Russian warships and by Syrian government forces on local oil refineries near the towns of al-Bab and Jarablus on Friday, sparking huge fires. The sources added that the missile strikes took place as Turkish-backed Takfiri terrorists were trying to smuggle hundreds of trucks loaded…

By: Khaled Iskef, Syrian Journalist The Egyptian leader in “Al-Nusra” “Yahya bin Taher Al-Farghali” revealed what he described as the constants that no one can disagree with “Al-Nusra”. Al-Farghali who holds the “public legal position” in Al-Nusra, said that there are constants of Al-Nusra that cannot be waived, indicating that these constants are the application of what he called the Sharia rule and the pursuit of jihad to reach the rule of Sharia. Al-Farghali added that Al-Nusra doesn’t follow deviant paths, such as the parliaments, in order to reach power, pointing out that the committee doesn’t agree to democratic or…

The report comes as the Arab coalition said it had thwarted 10 Houthi drone attacks targeting civilians on Sunday. Yemen’s Houthis have recently intensified their offensive against Saudi Arabia, targeting Riyadh, Jizan, and Khamis Mushait over the past week. Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, has downed a Saudi Air Force Karayel reconnaissance plane, built by Turkey, the movement’s Al-Masirah TV channel said Sunday. Arab coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said, as quoted by Al Arabiya, that they had intercepted 10 drones launched by the Houthis. Five of the drones were headed towards Saudi Arabia, the colonel…

Israel’s Defence Minister Benny Gantz earlier revealed that Tel Aviv is drafting new plans to attack Iran’s nuclear infrastructure if it believes that Tehran is building nuclear weapons. Gantz noted that Israel is ready to make the move even without approval from its allies or any other state. Tehran will level two of Israel’s biggest cities if Tel Aviv tries to attack the Islamic Republic, Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Hatami has warned. “Sometimes, [Israel] makes big claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran out of desperation to allegedly threaten it, even though [Tel Aviv] knows […] that if it does…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Pope Francis arrived yesterday at the Baghdad International Airport to begin a three-day visit, the first of its kind, and the first visit for the Pope abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic began one year ago.  Critics have wondered what difference the compassionate tourist could make, but the Pope has aimed to stand in solidarity with Iraqis, and their Christian fellow citizens. While most of Iraq has yet to be vaccinated, the Pope and his entourage have been. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi welcomed the pontiff, although Kadhimi oversees a government that is riddled with corruption…

By:Khaled Iskef, Syrian Journalist A local source said that armed men from the Turkish-backed “Suqour al-Sham” faction cut down trees on agricultural lands in “Afrin”, northern countryside of Aleppo. The source pointed out that the pro-Ankara factions committed a new violation against civilians in the region as “Suqour al-Sham” militants stormed agricultural land in the area, and cut more than 400 fruitful olive trees there. The source indicated that the gunmen stormed the field located in the village of “Qizilbash” in the district of “Bulbul” in Afrin countryside, indicating that the land belongs to a citizen from the region who…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Several thousand protesters have gone to the streets in Yerevan in the latest stage of a political crisis created by the aftermath of the armed conflict that erupted last year in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Moscow brokered a ceasefire agreement which saw significant territory handed over to Azerbaijan, but not before thousands were killed in six weeks of violence. To understand this devastating reversal for Armenians, Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse reached out to Garine Nazarian,  a Syrian-Armenian journalist specializing in Syrian and Armenian affairs.   Steven Sahiounie (SS): There was a coup attempt in Armenia.…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator President Joe Biden has disappointed human rights activists, journalists, and many in Congress who expected him to exact a punishment on Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) in the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi.  While sanctions were placed on 76 Saudi nationals as a result of the newly released report on the gruesome murder, the penalties did not name MBS personally.  Officials explained the need to end the war in Yemen, lower tensions in the Persian Gulf region, and ongoing counter-terrorism efforts as factors that held the administration back.  However, Biden has changed the…