Iraq forces raid protest camps after Sadr supporters withdraw
Iraqi security forces fired bullets and tear gas yesterday in raids on protest camps in Baghdad and southern cities, killing four people and wounding dozens more, police and medical sources said, Reuters reports. ...
Lebanon: Security forces fire water cannons at protesters
Lebanese security forces fired water cannons and tear gas at anti-government protesters trying to breach a security barricade outside government headquarters in central Beirut, as reported by Reuters. ...
Iraqis security forces raid Baghdad protest site
Iraqi security forces have moved against the main anti-government protest site in central Baghdad. ...
Absent Iran faces detente calls from worried West and Middle East
Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif skipped this year’s Davos, but Tehran was still a hot topic for many Western and Middle Eastern powers hoping for detente less than three weeks after the United States killed Iran’s top general. ...
Hundreds of thousands protest US troop presence in Iraq
Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched through Baghdad on Friday calling for US troops to leave Iraq, heeding the call of powerful Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who called for a "Million Man March." ...
Lebanon: US calls on new government to make ‘tangible reforms’
The United States has called on Lebanon’s new government to implement “real and tangible reforms” following months of protests in the country over corruption and a worsening economic crisis. In a statement issued yesterday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Lebanese government, which was appointed earlier this week, will face many challenges and tests, particularly regarding its response to the popular demands of its citizens. ...
Libya suspends air traffic in Tripoli’s Mitiga after missile strike
Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) yesterday suspended air traffic at the Mitiga airport in the capital Tripoli after it was struck by missiles. ...
Lebanon appoints first female defence minister
Lebanon has appointed a female member of parliament as its defence minister, as part of its shake up following mass protests in the country. ...
Masked gunmen assassinate Basij commander in south-west Iran
Earlier today, masked gunmen assassinated a local commander of the Basij paramilitary security forces in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province in front of his house. Abdolhosein Mojaddami was shot dead by two unknown persons who were riding a motorcycle according to the official IRNA news agency. ...
Iran plane crash: Tor-M1 missiles fired at Ukraine jet
Iran has confirmed that two Tor-M1 surface-to-air missiles were fired at the Ukrainian airliner that crashed near Tehran earlier this month. ...
New non-Arab Daesh leader confirmed by intelligence
The new leader of Daesh has been confirmed and identified by two intelligence services as one of the founding members of the terror group. ...
Three Iraq protesters killed as anger boils over govt 'procrastination'
Three Iraqi protesters were killed in the capital as thousands of anti-government demonstrators sought to shut streets across the country on Monday, their deadline for authorities to implement long-awaited reforms. ...
Lebanon’s Rahi Demands Emergency Govt. to ‘Rescue People and Country’
Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held officials hindering the formation of a new government responsible for days of unrest that erupted between protesters and security forces in Beirut. ...
Lebanon: More than 300 people wounded in Beirut clashes
Lebanese rescuers treated more than 300 people for injuries during hours of clashes between security forces and protesters that rocked central Beirut on Saturday night, reported Reuters. ...
Denying previous report, Iran to examine downed plane’s black boxes itself
Iran said on Sunday it was trying to analyse the black boxes of a Ukrainian airliner that its military shot down this month, denying a report that a decision had been taken to send the voice and flight data recorders to Ukraine, reported Reuters. ...
Lebanon anti-government protesters, security forces clash near parliament building
Security forces in Beirut fired tear gas and used water cannons on Saturday in clashes with protesters armed with tree branches and sign posts near Lebanon’s parliament. ...
At least 100 detained during 2 days of demonstrations in Beirut
Security forces detained at least 100 people who participated in two days of protests in Beirut, some of which targeted banks, according to lawyers following up on their cases. ...
Lebanon: Schools shut down following clashes between protesters and security forces
Tens of private and public schools have shut down on Wednesday following clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in the capital of Beirut. ...
US considers cutting military aid to Iraq, if troops expelled
The US is considering cutting off military aid to Iraq if the government of Baghdad decides to expel US troops from the country, (WSJ) reported on Wednesday. ...
Iran rejects UK's call for 'Trump deal' to replace nuclear accord
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for a new "Trump deal" to replace the 2015 nuclear agreement. ...