Tag Archives: Middle East Politics

Israel has announced that it has begun preparations for the large-scale departure of Palestinians from Gaza, aligning with President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal for the region. Meanwhile, Egypt has intensified diplomatic efforts behind the scenes to counter the plan. Palestinian officials, along with much of the international community, have rejected Trump’s proposal, fearing it will prevent refugees from returning and …

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump faced widespread backlash after his proposal to take control of Gaza sparked global condemnation, with the United Nations cautioning against what it described as “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian territory. Amid criticism from Palestinian officials, Arab nations, and international leaders, Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to clarify the stance, stating that any …

Arriving in Lebanon Thursday for her maiden visit as the new U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, replacing Amos Hochstein, was Morgan Ortagus. Ortagus commenced a tour of inspections with a visit to the US Embassy, where she received from US Major General Jasper Jeffers, chairman of the ceasefire monitoring committee, briefings about what the committee’s missions were …

Syria’s newly installed government demanded that Israel withdraw its presence in Golan Heights, a region it occupies for decades, in a move following its ally Bashar al-Assad’s fall. The demand during negotiations with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of U.N.’s peacekeeping, according to Syrian state media reports. The country’s willingness to cooperate with U.N. in full, according to its representatives, during Lacroix’s …

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has called for a parliamentary session on January 9 to elect a president, aiming to resolve the two-year deadlock and revive Lebanon’s struggling state institutions. The session will start with multiple rounds of voting, and Berri emphasized that the key objective is for parliament to elect a president and for members to take responsibility. French Foreign …

The foreign ministers of China and Iran agreed on Saturday that the Middle East should not be a region for external geopolitical competition or conflict among major powers. They emphasized that the region must not become a battleground for nations outside the Middle East. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s new foreign minister, is on his first official visit to China. During his …

On Friday, the wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad’s cousins were apprehended at Beirut airport for attempting to leave with allegedly forged passports, according to Lebanese judicial and security sources. Assad’s uncle had departed the day before without issue. Rasha Khazem, wife of Duraid Assad (son of Rifaat Assad, Bashar’s uncle), and their daughter, Shams, …

Syria’s embassy in Lebanon halted its consular services on Saturday, just one day after two relatives of former Syrian President Bashar Assad were arrested at Beirut airport with suspected fake passports. On the same day, Lebanese authorities deported dozens of Syrians, including former Syrian army officers who had served under Assad, back to the new Syrian authorities after they were …