Pompeo names Iraqi Badr militia leader Hadi al-Amiri as Iranian proxy

Hadi al-Amir is one of Iraq’s most powerful men. He was also considered a key figure in the post-ISIS Iraq, one that some US officials once believed they could work with, despite his views. SETH J. FRANTZMAN JANUARY 1, 2020 13:31 A prominent Iraqi political party leader is an Iranian proxy, US Secretary of State […]

Leviathan goes live: ‘A geopolitical event hard to exaggerate in its significance’

Israel’s Leviathan began operations, sending gas to Jordan on Wednesday. By World Israel News Staff “Israel for the first time in its history is an exporter of energy,” said Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz on Wednesday morning. “It is happening right now in these minutes and I for the first time here announce that at […]

Celebrating a decade of life-changing Israeli inventions

From Waze to cancer-busting nano-ghost cells and 3-D printed hearts, The Times of Israel takes a dive into tech that helps us get where we’re going and keeps us safe and healthy Shoshanna SolomonToday, 11:34 am As we enter 2020, The Times of Israel has taken a look at some of the coolest Israeli technologies […]

Pro-Iran militia vows to stay at US embassy in Baghdad despite pullback call

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces paramilitary orders its supporters to end their sit-in at the US embassy compound in Baghdad, but hardliners pledge to stay put outside the mission. “You delivered your message,” the PMF says in a statement addressed to the crowds encircling the embassy since yesterday in outrage over deadly American air […]

U.S. year-end violence shows worshippers make easy targets

FBI hate crime statistics confirm that incidents in synagogues, temples, churches and mosques increased 34.8% between 2014 and 2018; Hanukkah celebration and Sunday church service both attacked in space of 14 hours Associated Press | Published: 01.01.20 , 10:46 When a machete-wielding attacker walked into a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, during Hanukkah and […]

Europe: Anti-Christian Attacks Reach All-Time High in 2019

Soeren KernJanuary 1, 2020 at 5:00 am The issue of anti-Christian vandalism was rarely reported by the European media until February 2019, when vandals attacked nine churches within the space of two weeks. The issue made headlines again in April 2019, when a suspicious fire gutted the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Since then, […]

Iran’s Khamenei strongly condemns U.S. attacks in Iraq – TV

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei strongly condemned U.S. attacks on Iran-allied militia group in Iraq, Iranian state TV reported on Wednesday, blaming the United States for the violence in the neighbouring country. “The Iranian government, nation and I strongly condemn the attacks,” state TV quoted Khamenei as saying. The U.S. military […]

US troops fire tear gas at pro-Iran protesters in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. troops fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse pro-Iran protesters who were gathered outside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad for a second day. Dozens of pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters had camped out at the gates of the embassy in Baghdad where they stayed the night, a day after they […]

750 soldiers with 82nd Airborne headed for CENTCOM, additional 4,000 troops expected to deploy as Iran tensions mount

Watch Marines gear up to reinforce U.S. Embassy in Baghdad – Newsbreak Following violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a special crisis response task force of about 100 Marines stationed in Kuwait was sent in to back up the security. Roughly 750 soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are slated to be […]

Egypt: Opponents of Sisi launch anti-regime group

Egypt’s regime must stop its “repressive practices against dissidents”, Egyptian expatriates said yesterday, calling for the overthrow of what they described as “military rule”. On the occasion of the launching of the “Egyptian National Action Group,” the anti-regime conglomerate explained in a statement that the political group was launched “in light of the consensus on […]

How Russia is slowly encircling Europe

  Described as a Cold War casualty, Russia has been reasserting itself both politically and militarily. Experts argue that Moscow aims to reclaim its old glory. After the end of the Cold War, one of NATO’s main military and political goals was to encircle Russia, a then-weakening power after the dissolution of the former communist […]

How will Iraq respond to US air strikes?

Published date: 31 December 2019 15:53 UTC | Last update: 16 hours 7 min ago Attacks could shift the focus of ongoing protests from political corruption and Iranian influence, towards the US violation of Iraqi sovereignty Thousands of Iraqi protesters stormed the US embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday in response to US air strikes  that […]

Plans for Israeli Jordan Valley annexation moving forward

Israeli law prohibits an interim government, such as the one headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, from applying Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley or any part of the West Bank. TOVAH LAZAROFF DECEMBER 31, 2019 21:45 A committee to prepare for the Israeli application of sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and the Megilot Region […]