Author: Steven Sahiounie

A public initiative in defense of the Orthodox Church of Moldova (OCM) is gaining momentum in Moldova. The creators of the “Heritage” website, which documents violations of believers’ rights, have published a major appeal and petition to the country’s citizens (mostenire.online/petiie). In it, they sound the alarm over an “unprecedented attack” on the faith, which, in their opinion, threatens the very foundation of Moldovan statehood. The authors of the appeal, calling the OCM the “Mother-Church” and the spiritual foundation of Moldovan identity (with over 70% of residents being its parishioners), directly accuse the so-called “Metropolis of Bessarabia” (a…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The unprovoked attack on Qatar, a major U.S. ally, by Israel on September 9 has shaken the relationship between Qatar and the U.S., and may have a similar effect on other Arab countries. The trust is broken. At first, President Donald Trump claimed it was a surprise attack, and he had no prior warning from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, later the White House spun a story that they had notified Qatar before the attack. In response, Qatari officials have denied that claim, saying the call they got was during the attack, not before.…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator A recent US military airstrike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela has dramatically heightened tensions between President Donald Trump and President Nicolas Maduro. The US government alleges the boat was transporting narcotics to the United States, a claim that has fueled speculation about a potential military confrontation. This aggressive move coincides with the deployment of a significant US naval armada to the Caribbean Sea, ostensibly to support counter-narcotics operations targeting Venezuela, but critics see regime change as the real goal. The Trump administration attack on Venezuela has been orchestrated by Secretary of…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region are experiencing upheaval and crisis. In order to fully understand the issues faced, Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Dr. Mahmoud Al-Hashemi, the Director of the Union Center for Strategic Studies, of Iraq. 1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): With the halt in oil exports from the Kurdistan Region costing Iraq over $28 billion and recent drone attacks prompting U.S. intervention, how are Erbil-Baghdad tensions reshaping the region’s political and economic stability? Dr. Mahmoud Al-Hashemi (MAH): The persistent tendency among the political class in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq toward independence…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator A multifaceted global boycott campaign, spanning consumer goods, agricultural exports, arms sales, and academic cooperation, is inflicting substantial and sustained economic damage on Israel. Driven by international outcry over the war in Gaza, this movement has evolved from grassroots consumer activism to formal governmental sanctions, leading to closed businesses, plummeting exports, and unprecedented diplomatic isolation for the Israeli economy. The Rise of BDS and Consumer Power The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, formally launched in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian organizations, has matured into a potent economic force. Initially a symbolic tool against…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanon finds itself at a pivotal moment as internal debates intensify over the future of Hezbollah’s weapons, amid escalating threats from Israel and American diplomatic pressure. Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, recently expressed openness to discussing disarming Hezbollah within the framework of the Lebanese constitution, emphasizing the need for calm, consensual dialogue. His remarks came in response to the controversial visit of Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi to southern Lebanon, which Berri condemned as a “provocation.” Israel is currently occupying parts of Southern Lebanon since invading on October 1, 2024, marking the sixth…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The Hague/Rotterdam. In a significant development for Syria’s war-ravaged economy, the Dutch energy trading giant Vitol is preparing to load the first shipment of Syrian crude oil since the lifting of Western sanctions. This move signals a potential turning point for the country’s energy sector, which has endured over a decade of destruction and disruption due to conflict. According to a Bloomberg source familiar with the matter, the world’s largest independent oil trader will ship the crude to a refinery in Italy. The loading operation is scheduled to commence imminently. This landmark shipment follows…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator In a dramatic escalation of political tensions in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Lahur Sheikh Jangi, leader of the opposition “People’s Front Party,” was arrested alongside two of his brothers following a violent confrontation with security forces in Sulaymaniyah. The operation, which unfolded in the early hours of Friday morning, resulted in multiple casualties and has drawn both domestic and international concern. The recent armed conflict in Sulaymaniyah was the result of a deep and long-standing political and familial power struggle within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Sheikh Jangi was once co-president of the PUK…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator According to the Syrian state media, a US-led coalition has captured a senior member of the ISIS group in Atmeh, in the province of Idlib. The exact identity of the man has yet to be disclosed, but many believe it may be the ISIS supreme leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. Qurashi was named the fifth and current caliph of the ISIS on August 3, 2023. The pre-dawn raid included landing special commandos from helicopters in Atmeh, on the Turkish border. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, Qurashi was taken away, while…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reignited controversy by publicly endorsing the vision of a “Greater Israel,” a concept rooted in biblical and Talmudic narratives that has long been associated with expansionist ambitions. In a striking moment at the UN General Assembly on September 22, 2023, Netanyahu unveiled a map of Israel that included both Gaza and the West Bank, signaling a bold reassertion of territorial claims. The idea of “Greater Israel” has been championed by the Israeli far-right, notably Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party and current finance minister. In 2016,…