Syria war: US missile strike on ‘al-Qaeda leaders’ in Idlib
The US says it has carried out an attack on leaders of a group it calls al-Qaeda in Syria, in the country’s rebel-held Idlib province.
Syria
Iranian Oil Tanker Held for Six Weeks Now Under US Sanctions and Stranded at Sea
An Iranian oil tanker detained by the British in July and since released has been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq watching Israel-Hezbollah crisis closely
From the minute Hezbollah fired their anti-tank missiles at Israel, the entire Middle East was glued to what might happen next. This is because what is happening in northern Israel pits Iran’s ally against Israel, a key ally of the US, and that has regional implications because Iran’s allies and proxies – from Syria to Iraq and Yemen – are all impacted by how Hezbollah performs and how Israel responds.
As tensions spike in north, IDF cancels leave for combat brigades
The army’s Northern Command said Thursday it had canceled all leave for combat brigades on Israel’s northern border, just hours after the military’s commander in the north warned Israel would offer a ‘harsh’ response to any Hezbollah attack.
Hezbollah Says ‘Calculated Strike’ Against Israel ‘Being Arranged in a Way Which Wouldn’t Lead to a War’
Hezbollah is planning retaliation against Israel for two drones that targeted its media offices and missile development program Sunday.
New hope rises from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley
Heart for Lebanon helps these new believers become disciple-makers. “We have around 600 people in our Bible studies each month [and] we’re running about 300 in our worship services each week, plus Sunday schools,” Atema says.
Turkey Seeks Redress from Russia as Syrian Government Closes in on Last Rebel Stronghold
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Tuesday to protest what he says is a violation of a 2017 de-escalation agreement by Syria.
Netanyahu Expands Israeli Air Campaign Against Iran to Lebanon and Iraq
Israel widened its air campaign against Iran-backed targets across the Middle East over the weekend, pitting itself against Lebanese and Iraqi leaders who have hosted the proxies.
Syrian Forces Take Control of Northern Hama Province for First Time Since 2012
Syrian state media report that government forces now control all of northern Hama province for the first time since 2012 and that they have encircled a Turkish military monitoring post in the town of Morek. Turkish President Erdogan says that he will discuss the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they meet next week.
Russia’s Putin, Turkey’s Erdogan To Hold Talks In Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Moscow regional town of Zhukovsky on August 27 for talks expected to focus on the situation in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
Netanyahu Expands Israeli Air Campaign Against Iran to Lebanon and Iraq
Israel widened its air campaign against Iran-backed targets across the Middle East over the weekend, pitting itself against Lebanese and Iraqi leaders who have hosted the proxies.
Hezbollah chief threatens Israel with reprisal: ‘Wait for us at the border’
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday threatened Israel with a reprisal attack after two of its members were killed in an Israeli strike in Syria, and two UAVs crashed in and around the terror group’s Beirut offices in an incident also blamed on the Jewish state.
Israel Thwarts “Killer Drone” Attack
Israeli aircraft on Saturday night struck Iranian forces near Damascus that had been planning to launch ‘killer drones’ at targets in Israel, the IDF said in a statement.
Pompeo speaks with Netanyahu on Iran, backs Israel’s preemptive raid
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about Israel’s latest strikes in Syria, the top US diplomat’s office said on Sunday.
Top Iranian general warns Israel that strikes will bring end to ‘Zionist regime’
A top Iranian general, blamed by Israel for masterminding a preempted bid to launch drone attacks from Syria, warned Israel on Sunday that its strikes against Iran would not be tolerated much longer.
IAF drones strike PFLP position in Lebanon, near Syrian border – report
Israeli Air Force drones attacked a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) position in Qousaya, located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, close to the border with Syria on Sunday night, according to Lebanese media reports.
US officials say Israel behind bombing of Iranian militias in Iraq
Israel has recently carried out a series of airstrikes against Iranian-linked military targets in Iraq, two senior US officials told the New York Times on Friday.
Report: US, Russia gave Israel green light to strike Iran in Syria, Iraq
Israel has conducted several strikes on Iranian-controlled bases in Syria and Iraq in recent weeks with permission from the United States and Russia, a Western diplomatic source told a Saudi-owned newspaper Wednesday.
US says anyone who ‘touches’ Iran tanker risks US sanctions
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says anyone who ‘touches,’ supports or allows an Iranian tanker carrying crude oil to dock risks U.S. sanctions.
Islamic State, Al-Qaeda Hunker Down to Rebuild in Weaker Nations
Islamic State has been battered in Iraq and Syria and declared defeated by President Donald Trump. But the terrorist group and its predecessor, al-Qaeda, are finding ample room to rebuild in other places with weak central governments, officials and analysts warn.