Author: Steven Sahiounie

The United States is pulling its Patriot missile systems from Saudi soil as part of broader curbs on its military support for the Arab kingdom, a report says. Citing unnamed US officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that four Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries and dozens of military personnel will be removed from Saudi oil facilities. The officials said the US will also reduce its Navy presence in the Persian Gulf soon, adding that two jet fighter squadrons have already left the region. The US intensified its military presence in the region last year amid growing tensions with Iran. Part of…

As the world gradually embarks on easing corona-spawned social and economic restrictions, it has been suggested that gains from increasing demand will continue to be reined in for quite some time. Though oil prices have been slowly but steadily gaining in the past week as more countries began relaxing restrictions in place to eradicate the coronavirus pandemic, demand for crude and its products hasn’t yet started to visibly pick up, with oil reserves continuing to flow largely into limited storage facilities. The latter nuance has boosted the prospect of any gains potentially prompted by higher demand being capped. “Oil is…

by Oleg Burunov President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of being the mastermind behind the planned incursion in Venezuela, but Washington denies any involvement in the botched raid. In an interview with the news website Grayzone’s Anya Parampil, Drew White, the chief operating officer (COO) of the private military company Silvercorp USA, asserted that there was “no US [offcials] involvement” in the failed attempt to kidnap Venezuelan President Maduro “at all”. Silvercorp USA is suspected of being involved in the plan. White, in particular, referred to his contacts with “great guy” and former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau who was earlier exposed…

Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Libya has been forced to suspend its activities several times over the past several months due to shelling amid a confrontation between warring factions in the conflict-torn nation. Several fires erupted at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Libya after its jet fuel tank farm was “attacked”, Libya’s National Oil Corporation said on Facebook. The company provided no further details on the attack. According to the corporation, a firefighter crew has arrived at the scene to contain the blazes. Al Jazeera earlier reported that the airport had come under a rocket attack that hit a civilian…

by Tim Korso The Su-34 joined the Russian Air Force in 2014 as a multipurpose 4++ generation jet capable of striking ground targets and repelling attacks by hostile fighters utilising its high manoeuvrability. Several Su-34 fighter jets (NATO codename “Fullback”) have for the first time joined the major aerial Victory Day parade in the skies over the Russian city of Ekaterinburg, the command of the Central Military District reported. The 4++ generation jet, capable of launching ground strikes from extremely low altitudes, closed the parade of 22 jets and helicopters along with the recon modification of the Su-24, Su-24MR (NATO codename “Fencer”), and MiG-31…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator US President Trump has ordered the removal of two Patriot missile batteries from Saudi Arabia, and the withdrawal of 300 US troops.  When asked about the action, Trump replied, “Well, I don’t want to talk about it,” adding merely that his administration was “doing some things” and “making a lot of moves in the Middle East and elsewhere. We’re doing a lot of things all over the world militarily. We’ve been taken advantage of all over the world, our military.” US troop withdrawal from Saudi Arabia In 1973, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger considered…

A heavily-armed Russian military convoy made its way to the Al-Hasakah Governorate on Thursday after leaving a base in the neighboring governorate of Al-Raqqa. According to a field report, a Russian military convoy consisting of several armored vehicles made its way to the Al-Qamishli Airport in northern Al-Hasakah after traveling along the vast M-4 Highway (Aleppo-Hasakah Highway The Russian convoy not only consisted of armored vehicles, but also several military personnel who will join up with the forces already deployed around the around the airport and city. This move by the Russian military comes just days after they blocked a…

The Saudi-backed Yemeni Armed Forces have withdrawn from the historical Socotra Island Thursday, activists in southern Yemen reported. According to the reports, the Yemeni Armed Forces abruptly withdrew their troops from Socotra, leaving the island to the U.A.E.-backed Southern Transitional Council. The Yemeni Armed Forces previously clashed with the Southern Transitional Council over control of Socotra Island, prompting a showdown between their troops two days ago. The Saudi-led Arab Coalition has not issued a statement regarding the withdrawal; however, recent tensions with the Southern Transitional Council have resulted in the loss of the southern capital city, Aden, to fall to…

For the second time this week, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has sent a large number of reinforcements to the Daraa Governorate, a source from the military told Al-Masdar News. According to the source, the Syrian Arab Army has sent hundreds of soldiers to the Daraa Governorate amid preparation for a major military operation against the militant sleeper cells that have wreaked havoc against their forces. The source said the Syrian special forces already arrived in Daraa shortly after the execution of nine soldiers in the town of Mazrib; they have cordoned off the area and now awaiting the green…

Around 700 militants have defected from the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad Division as result of disagreements related to the group’s involvement in the Libyan war, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on April 6. According to the London-based monitoring group, the defectors left the group in protest to the deployment of Syrians in Libya. “The defection of the commanders and fighters from the faction came in protest against the faction’s policy of sending fighters to Libya to fight alongside the al-Sarraj government [the Government of National Accord (GNA)] … In addition to disputes as a result of the faction’s…