Author: Steven Sahiounie

Late on May 6, a joint force of the U.S.-led coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out a sensitive security operation in Deir Ezzor. The operation, which targeted ISIS cells, took place in the town of al-Zawr in Deir Ezzor’s southeastern countryside. The SDF imposed a curfew in the town, ordering civilians to stay in their homes during the operation. According to local sources, at least five helicopters of the coalition supported the operation. The helicopters engaged several targets on the ground, which is highly unusual during such security operations. Special forces stormed several houses in al-Zawr following…

On May 5, supporters of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) claimed that Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) had destroyed a 2K12 Kub [SA-6] air-defense system of the Libyan National Army (LNA). The system was allegedly destroyed in the course of the GNA’s recent attack on the al-Watiya Air Base, that is located to the southwest of the capita, Tripoli. The attack was repelled by the LNA. GNA supporters shared imaged showing two completely destroyed 2P25 transporter erector launchers (TELs) as well as a damaged SURN 1S91 target accusation radar of the 2K12 system. The photos, which were allegedly taken…

The United States is planning to renew by another four months the exemptions that are normally given to Iraq to continue to import electricity from Iran as officials in Washington claim the waivers are meant to help the country’s political stability. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a mention of the imminent decision during a Thursday phone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Pompeo said the waivers are meant to help the newly-installed Kadhimi with his efforts to form a new government in Iraq, a country which has been grappling with months of political unrest. “In support of…

The Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, has called upon all Palestinian forces to join hands and confront the Israeli regime’s plan to annex much of the occupied West Bank. “The annexation project in the West Bank is the most dangerous Judaization plan targeting the Palestinian land, and it constitutes the theft of 38 percent of the West Bank,” Hamas spokesman Abdul-Latif Qanua said. He added that through such a move, the Tel Aviv regime would give itself “false legitimacy over 70 percent of the settlements.” Qanua then urged the Palestinian Authority to respond appropriately to Israel’s controversial proposal to annex key…

Ashraf Shannon The Palestinian ministry of health has raised the alarm over the coronavirus pandemic in the blockaded Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, the ministry of health announced that three more people have been infected with the deadly coronavirus. The new cases were discovered at a quarantine center. Gaza has the lowest number of infections in Palestine due to strict measures by the authorities in the tiny enclave. The Palestinian NGOs network, which represents over 140 Palestinian civil society organizations, has warned of dire humanitarian situation in the impoverished seaside sliver. Gaza’s hospitals and clinics are already struggling to provide health services due…

Moscow doesn’t buy Washington’s claims it had nothing to do with the incursion into Venezuela, as a video emerged of a detained US mercenary confessing the operation was aimed at delivering President Nicolas Maduro to America. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that it was “alarmed” by the news of foreign mercenaries, including those with links to the US special services, attempting to land in Venezuela. Considering Washington’s “obsession” with deposing Maduro and statements that “all options are on the table” in order to achieve this goal, President Donald Trump’s words that the US had nothing to do with the failed incursion “sound unconvincing,” the ministry pointed out in a…

US President Donald Trump offered to send medical aid to Russia to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin said, after a telephone call between the US leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. The two presidents also discussed global oil markets, noting their support for last month’s output deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers, which they said had helped stabilize oil prices, according to the statement. As well as discussing the coronavirus pandemic, the leaders discussed the US’s desire for arms control, the White House said. “President Trump reaffirmed that the US is committed to effective arms control that…

John Healey, who was appointed Britain’s Shadow Defence Secretary in early April, said on Thursday that resource-sharing needs should be stepped up between NATO allies which could help tackle potential shortages of personal protective equipment to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The Daily Mail has quoted UK Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey as saying on Thursday that NATO should play a bigger role in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, efforts that the Labour frontbencher claimed could prove vital in the coming months. “Coronavirus doesn’t respect national borders. Our response to coronavirus must be international too”, Healey said, adding that Britain’s NATO allies are “facing the same…

Two inactivated coronavirus vaccine candidates have recently received approval from the Chinese authorities to begin phase I and II clinical trials simultaneously. The experimental vaccines are being developed by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products under the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), and Sinovac Research and Development Co., Ltd, a company based in Beijing. This latest progress comes after the recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine from a Chinese team led by China’s military medical expert Chen Wei was greenlighted for clinical trials on March 17. Vaccines are commonly regarded as the most powerful scientific tool in fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic. “China…

As quite a few US states along with countries like Italy and Germany are gradually easing anti-coronavirus measures, financiers and analysts are increasingly speculating about the fate of gold, which has of late been on a steady rise. The easing of lockdown restrictions in a number of locations worldwide – like in Germany, for instance – could spur optimism with regard to conventional currencies and thereby reduce the appeal of gold as a safe haven, FX Empire reported, adding that news about the German high court challenging the European Central Bank’s bond-buying authority has already made the euro weaker against the US dollar. The…