Lebanon under ‘total control’ of Hezbollah, Bahrain says
Saudi Arabia warned Sunday that it would not stand idly by in the face of Iranian ‘aggression,’ as Bahrain said the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah was “in total control” of Lebanon.
Iran
Israeli minister reveals covert contacts with Saudi Arabia
An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior Israeli official of such contacts.
IDF Chief of Staff: Israel willing to share intelligence with Saudis
Gadi Eisenkot has offered to share Israeli intelligence about Iran with Saudi Arabia, in remarks published in a rare interview with a Saudi newspaper published in London.
Russian long-range bombers strike Islamic State targets in Syria
Six Russian long-range bombers struck Islamic State targets near the town of Albu Kamal in Syria’s Deir al-Zor Province on Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Appeals court lets Trump travel ban go partially into effect
A U.S. appeals court in California on Monday let President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban go partially into effect, ruling the government can bar entry of people from six Muslim-majority countries with no connections to the United States.
Iran-Iraq border earthquake is deadliest of 2017
A huge rescue effort is under way after a powerful earthquake struck Iran’s mountainous border with Iraq, killing more than 400 people and injuring more than 7,000.
Trump to Netanyahu: We will take on Iran together
President Donald Trump penned a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently, thanking him for his support following Trump’s United Nations address in September, and pledging to work together with Israel to confront Iran over its nuclear program.
Iranians built new military base in Syria
Iran is building a new military facility in Syria, the BBC has reported based on a Western intelligence source.
Arab League to meet on Iran at Saudi request
The Arab League will hold an extraordinary meeting next Sunday at the request of Saudi Arabia to discuss ‘violations’ committed by Iran in the region, according to a memorandum.
Lebanon: Saudi Arabia-Iran rivalry finds a new battlefront
The resignation of Saad Hariri as Lebanon’s prime minister has upended the country’s political establishment and escalated a war of words between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Saudi Arabia orders citizens to leave Lebanon as tensions rise
Saudi Arabia has ordered its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, escalating a regional standoff with Iran centred on the fragile state, which it claims is being run by Tehran’s proxy, Hezbollah.
EU to preserve Iran nuclear deal: Mogherini
The European Union will make sure that the Iran nuclear deal ‘will continue to be fully implemented by all, in all its parts’, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said on Friday.
Rouhani warns Saudi Arabia against befriending Israel, US
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani warned rival Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that it was making a mistake in aligning with Israel and the United States over Tehran.
Lebanon’s plunge into political crisis raises specter of war with Israel
Even for a country often used as a battleground by regional powers and their proxies, the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri has opened a new period of political uncertainty and fear in Lebanon.
EU, US affirm Lebanon support, diverging from Saudi
The European Union on Wednesday affirmed support for Lebanon following the resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, echoing U.S. backing for the Beirut government which Saudi Arabia has accused of declaring war.
Saudi Arabia’s push on Iran ratchets up regional tensions
Saudi Arabia is more aggressively confronting its rival Iran on multiple fronts. It’s a policy that risks sharpening several conflicts in the Middle East, even though so far it has failed to score any successes in stemming Tehran’s influence.
A Saudi-orchestrated resignation throws Lebanon into turmoil
Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s abrupt resignation over the weekend was bizarre even by the often twisted standards of Lebanese politics: He made the surprise announcement from the Saudi capital in a pre-recorded message on a Saudi-owned TV station.
Saudi Crown Prince says Iran supply of rockets is military aggression
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Tuesday that Iran’s supply of rockets to militias in Yemen is an act of ‘direct military aggression,’ Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Obama hid Al-Qaida Threat, Iran Link
The killing of America’s archenemy, Osama bin Laden, by a Navy SEAL team in 2011 was a campaign coup for Barack Obama, who hailed it during his reelection bid as proof that the U.S. had al-Qaida ‘on the run.’
Saudi Arabia intercepts ‘missile’ fired from Yemen
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed a “ballistic missile” north-east of the capital, Riyadh, on Saturday after it was launched from Yemen, Saudi state media reported. ‘Saudi air defence intercepts ballistic missile northeast of Riyadh,’ it said.