Author: Steven Sahiounie

Who are the Iranians that Russia Evacuated from Syria? A senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was quick to deny earlier statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, who claimed that Russia had airlifted 4,000 Iranian soldiers from Syria to Tehran. Mohammad Jafar Asadi, the former commander of Iranian military advisors in Syria and deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, stated: “A large number of Iranians have been living in Syria for a long time, and Russia has relocated most of them to Iran.” Asadi added, “These were not part of the Iranian advisory forces. We withdrew…

Russian Defense Ministry: Ukraine Strikes Facility in Rostov with ATACMS and Storm Shadow Missiles The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that Ukrainian forces attacked a facility in Russia’s Rostov region with six US-made ATACMS missiles and four Storm Shadow missiles. According to the ministry’s statement, “On December 18, a missile strike was launched from Ukraine targeting the ‘Kamenetsky Combine’ in Rostov region.” It was confirmed that the attack involved “six American-made tactical missiles of the ATACMS model and four Storm Shadow missiles.” During the anti-missile battle, Russia’s air defense systems, including S-400, Buk-M3, and Pantsir, successfully intercepted all six…

Reopening of Iranian and Egyptian Embassies Soon The Iranian and Egyptian embassies are set to reopen soon, according to Mehdi Sanaei, the Deputy for Political Affairs at the Iranian President’s Office. This announcement was reported by the Iranian news agency “Mehr” on Thursday, where Sanaei stated, “We will soon witness the reopening of the Iranian and Egyptian embassies.” Despite the absence of diplomatic relations between Iran and Egypt for more than four decades, there has been a noticeable improvement in their interactions over the past year. Sanaei highlighted that “good dialogue took place in November between the leaders of both…

Erdogan Emphasizes Stability in Syria at D-8 Summit Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Thursday his commitment to achieving stability in Syria and aiding the Syrian people during his address at the 11th Summit of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) in Cairo. In his speech, Erdogan highlighted the numerous conflicts the world is witnessing, particularly in the Middle East. He stated, “We are monitoring developments in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, and we strive to achieve stability in Syria and assist the Syrian people.” Erdogan underscored the necessity of supporting youth and small-scale projects to drive economic…

SDF Prisons in Syria: A “Ticking Time Bomb” Named ISIS In recent developments, American officials have expressed heightened concerns regarding the possibility of a mass escape of ISIS members from prisons under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria, which hold thousands of members of the organization. Concerns Over a Mass Escape Intelligence reports published by Politico indicate that U.S. officials are closely monitoring the situation in northeastern Syria. They believe that potential Turkish attacks on SDF areas could deteriorate the security situation, facilitating an escape for ISIS members from these prisons. U.S. Secretary of State…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Hundreds of people have slept outside in freezing weather in the Damascus region, hoping to find a loved one who might still be alive in one of the many prison complexes run by former president Assad, who fled Syria on December 8. Recently, the unguarded prisons began to be broken into as thousands of prisoners found freedom, some after decades of torture and horrific conditions. Every country has prisons, but Syria’s were notorious for being filled with hundreds of thousands of political prisoners. Sednaya prison has been dubbed the “human slaughterhouse”. It is just…

Israeli Plan to Expand Settlements in the Occupied Golan Heighs In a significant move following days of Israeli military incursions into the demilitarized zone near the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the Israeli government has approved a plan to expand Israeli settlements in this region. The decision, announced on Sunday, was justified by stating it was acting “in light of the war and the new front facing Syria,” with the aim to double the Israeli population there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized in a statement that “strengthening the Golan is strengthening the State of Israel, especially at this critical time.”…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On December 8, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia leaving the country to be occupied by a coalition of armed fighters led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The HTS and the numerous affiliated armed groups have taken over the administration of the country, and have not carried out any massacres or threatened the public safety. They say they will be caretakers until March when a transition government will be formed in Damascus and later elections to be held. The HTS and their affiliates are now conducting themselves…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator In 1980, the Swedish pop group ABBA released a hit song, “The winner takes it all”. As of December 8, 2024, the armed coalition headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, might be singing that song. In every conflict, there are winners and losers. On a scale from 1 to 10, the various factions involved in the Syrian civil war from 2011 to 2024 are rated below. The US and Israel are rated a 9 out of 10 win in the downfall of the Assad regime. In…

The Mystery Surrounding the Fate of Journalist Austin Tice On Friday, U.S. officials disclosed new information regarding Austin Tice, an American journalist detained while on assignment in Syria in August 2012 and not seen since. A current and three former U.S. officials, along with an informed source, told Reuters that Tice managed an escape from his cell in 2013 but was recaptured shortly thereafter. After his escape, Tice was reportedly spotted by residents in Damascus’s Al-Mazzeh neighborhood wandering the streets. According to a source familiar with the escape, Tice sought refuge in the home of a well-known Syrian family, whose…