Author: Steven Sahiounie

According to local reports, at least three explosions were heard at the Camp Taji military base north of Baghdad late Tuesday. The base houses both Iraqi and US forces. A reporter with Sky News Arabic said on Tuesday night that three explosions had been heard at Camp Taji, an Iraqi military installation that also houses a large number of US troops. ​US forces at Taji have come under attack repeatedly this month, resulting in the deaths of several members of the US-led coalition in Iraq. While Washington maintains the attacks were carried out by Kataib Hezbollah, a Shiite militia in Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), at the…

In opposition to health officials worldwide and proven COVID-19 novel coronavirus containment policies used by other countries, US President Donald Trump has shown by his bid to lift social distancing advisories by Easter that his focus remains on the economy and his presidential re-election, rather than the lives of the American people. During a Monday news conference that was noticeably missing Dr. Anthony Fauci, the immunologist who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Trump insisted that it was of the utmost importance that the American people begin leaving their homes and resuming life as normal within weeks, rather…

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that if necessary, Moscow would be ready to help Washington in the fight against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-2019). “Our test kits have shown their high quality in China, Iran, have been transferred to Italy. Ordinary Americans should know – Russia, if necessary, will be ready to help the United States as it has repeatedly offered assistance in putting out fires in California,” the Russian Embassy quoted Antonov as saying in its Facebook statement. The number of registered coronavirus cases in the United States on Tuesday evening reached…

Preliminary reports suggest that two suicide bombers entered the Sikh temple in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and started to fire indiscriminately. Eyewitness also confirmed a massive explosion inside the house of worship. Narender Singh Khalsa, a member of the Afghan parliament, says that three to four people had been killed in the clash, while nearly 150 people are trapped inside the Dharamshala, a Sikh area of worship, in the Shorbazar neighbourhood of Kabul, where suicide bombers entered on Wednesday morning. Afghan security forces have reached the site and a gunfight is underway, said Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the…

The government of Iran has transmitted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to at least five countries, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Monday. “Fact: In February, Iran’s chief terror airline, Mahan Air, ran at least 55 flights between Tehran and China, further infecting the Iranian people. At least five foreign countries’ first cases of coronavirus were directly imported from Iran, putting millions more lives at risk”, the statement said. Pompeo also accused the Iranian government of lying about the real number of cases of COVID-19 infection and deaths in the country as well as of using…

On Marh 23, Turkish and Russian forces conducted a second ‘limited’ joint patrol in the framework of the new Idlib de-escalation agreement recently reached in Moscow. The patrol reportedly involved 6 pieces of military equipment (3 – Turkish and 3 – Russian) and took place on a short chunk of the M4 highway west of Sraqib. Under the Moscow agrement, the Turkish side is responsible to create a security zone along the M4 highway in southern Idlib and secure the withdrawal of heavy weapons and radical militants from the area. After this, the sides had to start conducting patrols along…

Turkey launched a new anti-terror operation in its eastern Bingol province, involving upwards of 1,000 personnel, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced on March 23rd. The ministry said Operation Trap-9 Karer aimed at neutralizing terrorists hiding throughout Bingol. Some 68 operational teams from Gendarmerie Special Operations, special forces from police and security units have been established for the action. No specific group was mentioned, but the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are reportedly active in Eastern Turkey, thus it is almost certain that it is against Kurdish groups. Meanwhile, Turkey’s operation against PKK in Syria and Iraq are on-going. The counter-terrorism operations will continue…

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has bluntly refuted claims by US State Department that the Islamic Republic is fostering conspiracy theories by highlighting the role of the United States in the global spread of the deadly new coronavirus, known as COVID-19. On Sunday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei addressed the Iranian nation through a televised speech in which he described the US “the most evil enemy of the Iranian nation.” The Leader pointed to allegations by US President Donald Trump and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, to the effect that Washington is ready to help Iran in…

Israeli troops have shot dead a young Palestinian man after he allegedly threw stones near a checkpoint at the entrance to the town of Ni’lin, located west of Ramallah. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed on Sunday that the man has lost his life after being shot by the Israeli troops’ gunfire. A spokesperson for the Israeli military claimed the Israeli forces had thwarted an “attempted terrorist attack” near the N’ilin Junction on Sunday night. His claim comes as he himself admits the man killed by Israeli troops was among a number of people “throwing stones” toward Israeli vehicles. The Israeli…

Saudi Arabia is set to impose a nationwide curfew starting on Monday to fight the deadly coronavirus that hit more people in the kingdom and across the Middle East, while the United Arab Emirates will suspend all passenger flights. Saudi King Salman ordered an 11-hour curfew from 7 pm to 6 am to contain the spread of the COVID-19, state news agency SPA reported Monday. The curfew, which will take effect on Monday evening and last for 21 days, it added. The decree came as Saudi Arabia reported 119 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 511 – the highest among the Persian…