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Latest Articles about Middle East
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Russia Declares Victory in Syria, but Its Open-Ended Commitment Will Not End
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that his country’s military operation in Syria is “close to conclusion” (see EDM, October 17). The Islamic State—once a sizable quasi-state, stretching from the outskirts of Iraqi Bagdad to Aleppo, in Syria—has lost control of all major cities, including... MORE
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Russia’s Military Explores Way out of Syria
Following recent Russian media coverage of the success of the Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno Kosmicheskikh Sil—VKS) in their operations in Syria, there are renewed indications that Moscow is seeking some kind of exit strategy. Despite earlier reports of a Russian withdrawal from Syria, which merely provided... MORE
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Moscow Treats New US Strategy for Iran as Great Opportunity
The decision of United States President Donald Trump not to certify the fact that Iran is duly implementing the provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) had been expected, so all international political responses were carefully measured. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for... MORE
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Russian Mercenaries Fight and Die in Botched Operation in Syria
The advance into the oil and natural gas–rich northeastern Syrian province of Deir el-Zour by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and supported by Russian bombing sorties has been heralded by the Kremlin as “a very important strategic victory.” The besieged provincial capital of Deir... MORE
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The Fall of a Jihadist Bastion: A History of the Battle of Mosul (October 2016 – July 2017)
Islamic State’s (IS) greatest conquest was its bold June 2014 seizure of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and home to approximately two million predominately Sunni inhabitants. For almost three years, IS dug in to defend this strategic stronghold and the site of the declaration of... MORE
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Arms and the King in Saudi-Russian Relations
Vladimir Putin described Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s visit to Moscow as “momentous” (see EDM, October 10; RIA Novosti, October 5); and it certainly was. In similar fashion, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented that the Saudi monarch’s visit constituted a “turning point in... MORE
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Russia Is Steered Back Toward Petro-Stagnation
The “historic” trip of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud to Moscow, last week (October 4–7) was an affair long on ceremony, featuring a massive delegation, but rather uncertain regarding the real results. The first ever royal visit (which had been rescheduled several times) was... MORE
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Abadi’s Ally in Ninewah: Militia Leader Abd al-Rahim al-Shammari Defends Iraq’s Territorial Integrity
The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) referendum on independence that was held on September 25 has faced extensive criticism from a range of Iraqi and international actors. Among the critics are prominent Arab Sunni Iraqi politicians concerned with the territorial integrity of the strategic... MORE
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New US Ambassador Arrives in Moscow Amidst Worst Bilateral Relations Since 2014
Veteran career diplomat Ambassador John Tefft (68), who was pulled out of retirement to man the United States’ Moscow mission in 2014, following the acute crisis precipitated by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the onset of the war in the Donbas, left the Russian capital... MORE