Trump orders more troops to Middle East as Iran prepares its response

Trump orders more troops to Middle East as Iran prepares its response

President Trump has authorized the deployment of additional troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran are sky-high following the targeted killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commanding officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force. In addition to one paratrooper battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force (IRF), […]

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators blasting away in the Middle East

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators blasting away in the Middle East

A soldier assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command demonstrates firing positions on the M320 40mm grenade launcher to a member of the Saudi Arabian Naval Special Forces during joint forces weapons training in a tactical training area in Amman, Jordan, Aug. 28, 2019, as part of Exercise Eager Lion 2019. Eager Lion, U.S. Central […]

Escalation: Royal Marines commandos deploy to Middle East amid Iranian aggressiveness

Escalation: Royal Marines commandos deploy to Middle East amid Iranian aggressiveness

Britain’s premier maritime commando force is sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz for an exercise amid an international crisis triggered by Iranian aggression against two oil tankers last week. Royal Marines commandos from 42 Commando will be conducting visit, board, search and seizure drills, among other tasks, in close proximity to where the two tankers […]

It’s official: Air Force F-35s are being deployed to the Middle East

It’s official: Air Force F-35s are being deployed to the Middle East

For the first time, the U.S. Air Force is deploying the world’s most advanced fighter to the Middle East to participate in combat operations. While Marine Corps F-35Bs have already participated in combat operations over Afghanistan, this deployment marks the first outing for the Air Force’s F-35A iteration of the platform. The first F-35As reached […]

Netherlands continues foreign aid efforts in the Middle East

Netherlands continues foreign aid efforts in the Middle East

The Netherlands Foreign Trade Minister, Sigrid Kaag, recently visited Kurdistan, Iraq and Jordan in a move to push rehabilitation efforts in the wake of Islamic State conflict. Primarily they will be focusing on the city of Mosul, further Peshmerga military advisory work and other humanitarian aid programs. Kaag addressed Netherlands press stating that, “It is of […]

Kushner: US Will Present Its Own Peace Plan for the Middle East Soon

Kushner: US Will Present Its Own Peace Plan for the Middle East Soon

The Trump administration’s senior envoy to the Middle East, Jared Kushner said that the United States will soon present its own peace plan for the Middle East after meeting with regional leaders. He also slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for refusing to meet with him during the recent talks. Kushner’s comments were published in the […]

Russia, China Strengthen Ties to Challenge US in the Middle East

Russia, China Strengthen Ties to Challenge US in the Middle East

U.S. sanctions against Russia have resulted in pushback from Moscow. The Russians and Chinese have pledged to strengthen their bilateral military and political ties to challenge U.S. interests everywhere but especially in the Middle East. Moscow has one of its biggest allies in Syria and the Russians are surprisingly taking the side of Iran as well […]

The private sector and the rebuilding of the Middle East after ISIS

The private sector and the rebuilding of the Middle East after ISIS

The U.S. Department of State is advocating the use of the private sector in the rebuilding and reconstruction of Syrian and Iraqi infrastructure in the wake of the war with the Islamic State. Rather than nation building as a government, they believe that privatizing the reformation process will be a far more feasible solution to […]

US Must Counter Russia, China in Middle East After Defeat of ISIS

US Must Counter Russia, China in Middle East After Defeat of ISIS

With the defeat of Islamic State, both Russia and China are attempting to grow their influence across the Middle East, adding to the growing concerns for the United States, the commanding general of Central Command said on Tuesday. Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), described an array of steps those “great power” […]

Middle East Sitrep 12/31/17

Middle East Sitrep 12/31/17

The current situation in the Middle East is really not all that different from before the Islamic State took control of huge swaths of land. Small pockets of Islamic State resistance are still in existence throughout the formerly occupied regions of Iraq and Syria. As such, it is inevitable that small attacks and minor combat […]