Latest Articles about Middle East

Abqaiq: Lessons for Countering Drones

Introduction On September 14, a number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) reportedly attacked Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq energy facility, one of the world’s largest crude oil processing sites, alongside the Khurais oil field (Middle East Eye, September 15). The drones—possibly supported by cruise missiles fired from... MORE

Turkmenistan’s Gas Exports Hampered by Geopolitical Realities

On August 12, during the Caspian Economic Forum in Turkmenistan, Russia and Iran expressed their discontent regarding the long-proposed Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCP) project (see EDM, September 4). Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stressed that all “major Caspian Sea projects should undergo an impartial environmental... MORE

Russia’s Advances in Electronic Warfare Capability

Since the reform of Russia’s Armed Forces began in late 2008, Moscow has developed a credible conventional military capability. Among the subset of capabilities over the past decade are the critically important advances in combat support offered by Electronic Warfare (EW) (see EDM, April 17,... MORE

Russian Views of the Saudi Oil Facility Attacks (Part Two)

*To read Part One, please click here. The September 14 attack on the Saudi oil facilities at Buqayq and Khurais was allegedly committed by Yemen’s Houthi militants—although it was more likely carried out with Iranian assistance or even by Tehran itself. Indeed, the Saudi Ministry... MORE

Russian Views of the Saudi Oil Facility Attacks (Part One)

On September 14, Yemen’s Houthi militants claimed responsibility for an attack on crucial Saudi Arabian oil facilities in Buqayq and Khurais, which was carried out using a number of suicide drones (allegedly 18) and 7 cruise missiles. The exact area(s) from which the strikes were... MORE

Baluch Raji Ajohi Sangar: Emergence of a New Baluch Separatist Alliance

The surfacing of a new Baluch separatist organization in Pakistan’s terrorism-ridden Baluchistan province marks a major new development. The newly established organization, Baluch Raji Ajohi Sangar (BRAS) (in English, Baluch National Freedom Movement), is an alliance of three Baluch nationalist-separatist terrorist groups—Baluchistan Republican Army (BRA),... MORE

Cairo’s Struggle to Contain North Sinai Militancy

On July 18, militants executed four individuals in the town of Bir al-Abd, in North Sinai, for alleged cooperation with the Egyptian security services. One day later, at least two people, including a civilian and a member of the security services, were killed in an... MORE

Moscow Sees Saudi Drone Attack as an Opportunity

In an official statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the September 14 multiple unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and cruise missile attacks on Saudi Arabia’s main Abaqaiq oil processing facility and the Khurais oilfield that crippled Saudi oil production: “We strongly condemn attacks on... MORE