Author: Steven Sahiounie

Syrian government officials have seized major stocks of Western-made weapons and munitions, including American TOW anti-tank missiles, while conducting clean-up operations in the country’s southwestern provinces of Dara’a, Suwayda and Quneitra. Syria’s official news agency SANA, citing an informed source speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that the weapons were found as Syrian army troops were combing formerly militant-held areas. Among the seized weapons were heavy machineguns, submachine guns, US-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles, Israeli-built M72 LAW portable anti-tank rockets, landmines, rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, automatic rifles, sniper rifles, hand grenades and ammunition of various calibers The source added that…

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared an end to all agreements with Israel and the United States in response to an Israeli regime’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Abbas announced in a statement on Tuesday that he intends not to abide by security agreements and understandings signed between Tel Aviv and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as well as cooperation with the United States. “The Palestine Liberation Organization and the state of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the commitments based…

The US Navy has warned vessels in the Persian Gulf to stay 100 meters away from American warships or risk “lawful defensive measures,” in a move that appears to be aimed squarely at Iran. “Armed vessels approaching within 100 meters of a US naval vessel may be interpreted as a threat,” according to the text of the notice issued on Tuesday. The Bahrain-based US Naval Forces Central Command claimed in a statement that its notice was “designed to enhance safety, minimize ambiguity and reduce the risk of miscalculation.” Meanwhile, an unnamed US official told Reuters the new notice was not a…

A senior Hezbollah official says the liberation of Jerusalem al-Quds from Israeli occupation tops the agenda of the regional resistance front, and that the Lebanese movement is fully prepared for any type of confrontation with the regime in Tel Aviv in line with that objective. “We are perfectly ready to confront any act of aggression or instance of folly that the Zionist regime could commit,” Seyyed Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, told Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television channel on Tuesday. “The resistance movement is currently assured and well aware of its approach and choices in the event of such a confrontation with…

Former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn secretly escaped Japan and fled to Lebanon in 2019 after being kept in custody for financial misconduct, the underreporting of his earnings and the misuse of the automaker’s assets. US authorities have arrested a former special forces soldier, Michael Taylor, and another man, Peter Taylor, who are wanted in Japan for facilitating the escape of former Nissan Motor Co head Carlos Ghosn. The two men are expected to appear before a federal judge in Worcester, Massachusetts, via a video link. Ghosn, a Brazilian-born French businessman of Lebanese descent, was arrested in Tokyo in November 2018…

On 28 January President Donald Trump formally unveiled his plan for Middle East peace, authored by a team led by his son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner, at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Palestinian authorities rejecting the proposal as flagrantly biased. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday offered his most vocal to date opposition to the Israel’s government’s moves to annex Jewish settlements as part of the move to claim sovereignty over the West Bank and Jordan Valley, reported The Hill citing a transcript of the former vice president’s statement. “I do not support annexation…The fact is, I…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Apache helicopters of the US occupation forces flew low Sunday morning, according to residents of the Adla village, in the Shaddadi countryside, south of Hasaka, as they dropped ‘thermal balloons’, an incendiary weapon, causing the wheat fields to explode into flames while the hot dry winds fanned the raging fire. After delivering their fiery pay-load, the helicopters flew close to homes in an aggressive manner, which caused residents and especially small children to fear for their lives.  The military maneuver was delivering a clear message: don’t sell your wheat to the Syrian government. Head…

On Sunday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the ‘neutralization’ of two elements of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) during an attack on the Iraqi-Kurdistan region. The ministry said, in a tweet on Twitter, that it “was able, through surveillance mechanisms, to locate terrorists in the Afashin Basyan region, northern Iraq,” stressing that “the Turkish army continued its operations against the PKK terrorist organization with determination.” Ankara classifies the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers’ Party, as a terrorist organization, and is working to target its elements inside and outside Turkey. However, the Iraqi government has repeatedly condemned Turkey for carrying out…

At least eleven Turkish-backed Syrian militants, including a minor, were recently killed while fighting for the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on May 17. According to the monitoring group, the militants were killed in clashes with the Libyan National Army (LNA) around the capital, Tripoli, and near the city of Misrata. The killed militants were fighting in the ranks of the al-Mu’tasim Brigade, the al-Sultan Murad Brigade, the Northern Hawks Brigade, the al-Hamza Division and the Suleyman Shah Brigade. The SOHR also dismissed recent reports claiming that Russia is sending…

the U.S.-led coalition and the SDF carrying out a new counter-terrorism operation in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside. According to local sources, the operation targeted two commanders of ISIS in the town of al-Busayra. Coalition forces landed with helicopters, while a convoy of SDF forces closed the town and surrounded the terrorists’ houses. Coalition forces engaged in heavy clashes with the commanders who turned out to be hiding in the same houses. One of the commanders was killed in the clashes, while other was killed when coalition forces blew up the house. Later, coalition forces raided a second house. No…