US seizes Iranian oil tankers bound for Venezuela

US seizes Iranian oil tankers bound for Venezuela

The United States Justice Department announced that federal agents have seized millions of dollars worth of fuel that Iranians were sending to Venezuela in an attempt to avoid U.S. economic sanctions. The seizure was characterized as the largest ever of its kind.  The petroleum was loaded in four tankers. They were stopped and their cargo […]

Russia halts joint patrols with Turkish military in Syria

Russia halts joint patrols with Turkish military in Syria

Although the tenuous ceasefire continues to hold in Syria’s Idlib province, the joint patrols that have been conducted by Russian and Turkish troops have been halted, due to militant attacks.  The two sides had agreed back in March to conduct joint patrols along the strategic M4 highway. The agreement ended weeks of increased tension in […]

Israel & United Arab Emirates reach historic peace deal

Israel & United Arab Emirates reach historic peace deal

Israel has reached a third peace treaty with the Arab world, and the first with a Gulf Arab state. The United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties in exchange for the Israelis suspending their planned annexation of West Bank territory in Judea and Samaria.  The two sides agreed to the […]

Turkey purchases Russian S-400 and jeopardizes NATO support

Turkey purchases Russian S-400 and jeopardizes NATO support

Several members of the United States Congress, on both sides of the aisle, have been quietly blocking U.S. arms sales to Turkey for the past two years. This bipartisan move has been in response to Turkey’s decision to buy Russian made S-400 antiaircraft missiles and to Turkey’s increasingly close relationship to Russia and President Vladimir […]

Turkish officer arrested in Tampa on false imprisonment and battery charges

Turkish officer arrested in Tampa on false imprisonment and battery charges

Turkey’s Senior National Representative to the U.S. Central Command’s International Coalition is sitting behind bars in Tampa, Florida after police responded to a call for a woman not breathing. According to a Military Times article, when law enforcement and Fire Rescue arrived at the apartment of Huseyin Kurtdere, a Major in the Turkish military, they […]

US sends humanitarian aid to Lebanon after Beirut explosion

US sends humanitarian aid to Lebanon after Beirut explosion

The United States has sent humanitarian aid to Lebanon after the catastrophic explosion that decimated Beirut earlier last week. “We want to express the department’s sympathies in mourning the lives of so many lost in Lebanon on Tuesday. This is a horrific tragedy,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said during a Washington news conference. A […]

Russian military expands in Africa by building bases in six countries

Russian military expands in Africa by building bases in six countries

The Russians are trying to expand their influence in Africa. To this end, they are signing military agreements with some of the continent’s more authoritarian regimes.  The German daily newspaper Bild citing a leaked secret German Foreign Ministry report wrote that the Russians are building military bases in six African countries. The report says that […]

Somali Army kills 17 al-Shabaab terrorists in fierce firefight

Somali Army kills 17 al-Shabaab terrorists in fierce firefight

On Wednesday, Somali military forces repulsed an attack by Al-Shabaab terrorists who were attempting to capture the Somali national army base in Daynuney, according to government reports. Daynuney is a small town located 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Baidoa, the Bay region’s administrative capital. The town has frequently been a target of the terrorist group. […]

Suspecting human rights abuses in the Sahel, US threatens support to partners

Suspecting human rights abuses in the Sahel, US threatens support to partners

The United States released a statement on Thursday addressing the increase of alleged human rights abuses by state security forces in West Africa and the Sahel. According to the statement, the U.S. was “deeply concerned” about these allegations and said that they must be addressed or else assistance from Washington could be at risk. Part […]

US calls for a ceasefire in Libya while Egypt threatens military intervention

US calls for a ceasefire in Libya while Egypt threatens military intervention

The ongoing civil war in Libya has now reached a critical stage. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has threatened military intervention if there are any attacks by Turkish-backed forces on Sirte or the airbase at Jufra. Sisi stated that any move against either of these locations would amount to crossing a “red line.” The United States […]

Former U.S. Navy Sailor is released by Iran in prisoner swap

Former U.S. Navy Sailor is released by Iran in prisoner swap

After two years of being incarcerated in Iran, former Navy Sailor Michael White was released on Thursday after the United States deported Sirous Asgari, an Iranian scientist who was acquitted last year on charges of trying to steal trade secrets. Asgari was being held in an ICE facility.  The U.S. also terminated a case in […]

Trump wants troops out of Afghanistan by election day

Trump wants troops out of Afghanistan by election day

According to sources first referenced by the New York Times, senior military officials are going to brief President Trump, in the very near future, on several possible timelines for completely withdrawing American military forces from Afghanistan. The military is looking at one proposal, which is thought to be the president’s wish, for a complete withdrawal […]