Author: Steven Sahiounie

More than two million people have contracted Covid-19 globally since the lethal outbreak began last December, passing another dark milestone as the World Health Organization is pulled into a war of words between the US and China. The worldwide coronavirus case count now stands at over two million, the latest figures from AFP showed on Wednesday. More than half of this number relates to outbreaks in European nations, but globally the worst-hit country is the United States, with almost 610,000 identified Covid-19 patients. The US death toll stands at over 26,000 or over 28,300, depending on whether revised numbers that…

Even after members of OPEC+ and other oil-producing countries signed an agreement to cut global crude output, black gold prices have continued to fall, with Brent blend losing almost 7% since the deal was inked. Riyadh might resort to selling international bonds in the near future, as its government coffers remain unfilled due to oil prices continuing their fall after the signing of a new OPEC+ deal, Reuters reported, citing several anonymous banking sources. The sources noted that Saudi Arabia will be monitoring the oil markets’ reaction to the new output cuts before making a decision on borrowing money. “It’s the logical…

Russia and Turkey held the fourth joint patrol of the M4 highway in the Syrian province of Idlib, the Russian military said Wednesday. “In accordance with the agreement of presidents of Russia and Turkey dated 5 March, on 15 April, another — the fourth —  Russian-Turkish joint patrol of a stretch of the M4 highway in the Idlib de-escalation zone linking the cities of Aleppo and Latakia took place”, the Russian centre for reconciliation of opposing sides said. Earlier this week, Russian army planes carried out patrols along a fixed route in northern Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his…

The Saudi-led coalition has conducted 26 air raids on Yemen’s northern and western provinces despite the alliance’s step towards a ceasefire in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Yahya Sarai, the spokesman for the Houthi rebel movement, said on Wednesday. “Air forces of the Saudi-US [coalition] launched more than 26 air raids, with 18 of them [having been conducted] on the districts of Majzar and Sarwah in the Marib [northeastern province], six on the district of Khabb Wa Shaaf in the Jawf province [in the northwest]”, Sarai said. He added that two more air raids were conducted on the northern province of…

Turkish gendarmerie forces have “neutralised” two armed militants in the Kurdish-dominated Sirnak Province in the country’s southeast, media said Wednesday. The raid on the militants was part of an ongoing domestic security operation in the Mount Cudi region, the state news agency Anadolu reported, citing the Interior Ministry. It is unclear what happened to the militants, as there were no additional details in the official statement. The news agency said they could have been killed, captured, or surrendered. Ankara has been fighting Kurdish militants since the early 1980s. The Turkish authorities designated the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which seeks to…

Damascus has repeatedly accused Israel of conducting illegal airstrikes on Syrian territory. Tel Aviv has indeed claimed responsibility for some of those strikes, insisting that it targeted alleged Iranian forces or its proxies in the Arab Republic, despite Tehran denying their presence in Syria. A drone, allegedly belonging to the Israeli Air Force has carried out an attack against a vehicle in Syria near the country’s border with Lebanon, Reuters reported citing an anonymous security source. According to the media’s sources, the car was carrying Hezbollah forces, who managed to escape the vehicle before it was hit with the attack reportedly resulting…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator There are 2 camps in the Middle East: those countries which work with ‘Israel’, and those who do not. The countries which have established relationships with ‘Israel’ are Turkey; United Arab Emirates (UAE); Saudi Arabia; Qatar; Bahrain; Oman; Jordan; Egypt. This group of countries is backed up by the US and the EU. The countries which do not have a relationship with Israel are Syria; Lebanon; Iraq; Iran; Occupied Palestinian; Yemen; Algeria. This group of countries has established a very good relationship with Russia and China. The world is split between 2 spheres of…

On April 11, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) repelled ISIS’ attack on its positions in the’ eastern countryside of Homs, according to several sources. The large-scale attack, which began two days ago, targeted army positions between the town of al-Sukhanh and Wadi al-Waer. Opposition sources are claiming that up to 40 Syrian soldiers and officers were killed in the attack. Syrian and Russian warplanes provided army troops with a close air support during the clashes, targeting ISIS’ personnel, positions and equipment. Sources affiliated with ISIS claimed that two warplanes were hit. These claims appear to be an obvious war propaganda not based on any…

Russian and Turkish forces are preparing to establish a joint position in the northeastern Syrian governorate of al-Hasakah, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on April 12. According to the UK-based monitoring group, the position, which will be first joint post of Russian and Turkish forces in Syria, will be set near the town of Umm Ushbah in the northern countryside of al-Hasakah. “Preparations are secretly ongoing amid intensifying Russian movements [in the region], where logistic equipment is being deployed,” the SOHR’s report reads. Two days ago, units of the Russian Military Police and the Turkish military conducted…

U.S. forces in northeast Syria have recalled hundreds of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters who used to work with them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed on April 12. “U.S. forces are largely working to reestablish their influence in the Eastern Euphrates region,” the monitoring group said in the report. According to the SOHR, hundreds of SDF fighters have already rejoined service in U.S. bases in the governorates of al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor. The fighters are reportedly receiving training from U.S. forces and are involved in logistic operations. “The U.S. offered those who returned a monthly salary larger…