A turbulent decade sees Moscow’s star shine brightly in the Middle East

Russia is increasingly asserting its place as the dominant superpower in the region; the proverbial Russian bear hug could prove dangerous Ksenia Svetlova When the news spread about the targeted killing of Iranian “dark knight” Qassem Soleimani by the Trump administration, Russia was quick to denounce the United States’ “risky and dangerous” policy in the […]

Lessons from Iran’s shoot-down of Ukrainian Airlines 752

What makes Iran’s admission interesting and how the tragedy unfolded is important and reveals some details about Tehran’s targeting of US bases on January 8. By SETH J. FRANTZMAN JANUARY 11, 2020 14:34 Iran went from “it’s a big lie” to “we apologize” in just 24 hours from Friday to Saturday. It now says that […]

Angry Iranians question authorities for concealing truth on plane incident

DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran’s statement on Saturday that a Ukrainian passenger plane was downed by a missile fired unintentionally followed growing pressure from abroad but also at home, and for some Iranians, the authorities’ expressions of condolence were not enough. For days, Iran had denied Western accusations it was responsible for Wednesday’s crash […]

Trump announces new sanctions against the Iranian metal industry

“The United States will continue to counter the Iranian regime’s destructive and destabilizing behavior,” the president said in a statement. OMRI NAHMIAS JANUARY 11, 2020 12:56 WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on Friday, authorizing new sanctions against the Iranian metal industry, as well as against senior regime officials. According to […]

Libya and Iran top agenda in Merkel-Putin meeting

The confrontation between Washington and Tehran over the US killing of a top general and turmoil in Libya are set to dominate talks in Moscow on Saturday between the leaders of Russia and Germany. Russia’s Vladimir Putin will hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Moscow on Saturday afternoon — her first visit since […]

Turn and Face the Wind Isaiah 40:31

Turn and Face the WindIsaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”____________________________________________________________I can still remember the first time I saw an airplane takeoff. It was at a small airport in Orange County near the coast. That little airport had just one simple runway, no control tower, and no fence to keep people out, so I took full advantage of getting as close as I possibly could to the planes. I sat down in the …

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Oman names culture minister as successor to Sultan Qaboos

Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, who has served important diplomatic roles, to take over as the Gulf state’s ruler; thousands attend funeral of late monarch Aya BatrawyToday, 10:44 am DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Oman announced Saturday culture minister Haitham bin Tariq Al Said as the new ruler of the Gulf Arab country, ending […]

Bomb hits US convoy in Afghanistan, no word on casualties

A senior Afghan military official in Kandahar said the incident took place in the district of Dand when the device hit one of the armored vehicles of the US forces. REUTERS JANUARY 11, 2020 11:36 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – A roadside bomb hit a convoy of US troops on Saturday in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, […]

Ukraine president demands punishment, compensation for plane downed by Iran

Volodymyr Zelensky requests an official apology as Tehran says it accidentally shot down Ukrainian passenger jet after repeatedly denying responsibility Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded Saturday that Iran punish those responsible for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner and pay compensation. “We expect Iran… to bring the guilty to the courts,” the Ukrainian leader wrote […]