Yemen Civil War: Small progress for Saudi-backed government forces

Yemen Civil War: Small progress for Saudi-backed government forces

Forces loyal to Saudi-backed President Abrabbuh Mansur Hadi have seized the coastal town of Al-Mokha in Yemen, according to a report by Reuters. The action represents progress for the embattled president and his Gulf Arab allies as the civil war with regional and global implications approaches its second anniversary. Following the Iranian-backed Houthi offensive to […]

Detachment A: counter-terrorism and Operation Eagle Claw (Part 3)

Detachment A: counter-terrorism and Operation Eagle Claw (Part 3)

Read Part One HERE and Part Two HERE. As the Cold War matured, the mission of Det A evolved, shifting gears to face a new threat that the Western World was unprepared for. In the early 1970’s there had been a rash of aircraft hijackings, many perpetrated by the Palestinian nationalists belonging to the Popular […]

Amnesty International accuses Assad regime of mass executions in military prison

Amnesty International accuses Assad regime of mass executions in military prison

A report released by human rights group Amnesty International has accused the Assad regime of executing thousands of prisoners in mass hangings and conducting systematic torture in a military prison near Damascus. The executions took place over a four-year span, though the report indicated that torture and mass executions are likely ongoing. The organization has called on […]

Iran’s missile test ‘not a message’ to Trump

Iran’s missile test ‘not a message’ to Trump

Iran said on Monday a recent missile trial launch was not intended to send a message to new U.S. President Donald Trump and to test him, since after a series of policy statements Iranian officials already “know him quite well”. Iran test-fired a new ballistic missile last week, prompting Washington to impose some new sanctions […]

Al Qaeda urges followers to hit back at U.S. following Yemen raid

Al Qaeda urges followers to hit back at U.S. following Yemen raid

Al Qaeda’s offshoot in Yemen exhorted followers over the weekend to take on the U.S. in response to a raid by American commandos that killed senior figures in the group, while the militants launched fresh attacks on territory held by the internationally recognized government. Qasim al-Raymi, the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, […]

Trump Administration looks at driving wedge between Russia and Iran

Trump Administration looks at driving wedge between Russia and Iran

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is exploring ways to break Russia’s military and diplomatic alliance with Iran in a bid to both end the Syrian conflict and bolster the fight against Islamic State, said senior administration, European and Arab officials involved in the policy discussions. The emerging strategy seeks to reconcile President Donald Trump’s seemingly contradictory vows […]

The coming war with Iran

The coming war with Iran

When President Obama sold the disastrous Iran nuclear deal to the American people he famously described it in these terms. We could support the deal and opt for peace, or we could oppose the deal and choose war. It was a simple binary choice, and only a madman would decide to begin a war, which […]

Israeli and UK PMs meet to sell each other on Trump policies

Israeli and UK PMs meet to sell each other on Trump policies

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, met with his British counterpart, Theresa May on Monday in London to discuss Iranian sanctions and the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian occupied territory. Although President Donald Trump was not present for their conversation, each of the world leaders echoed Trump’s own sentiments to one another in […]

Iran holds military exercises in response to U.S. sanctions

Iran holds military exercises in response to U.S. sanctions

ISTANBUL — Iran on Saturday began extensive military exercises in a defiant response to a week of warnings from the Trump administration, including new sanctions, with a senior Iranian military commander calling the actions “futile” and threatening to “rain” missiles down on the country’s enemies. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s most influential security institution, […]

Pentagon chief advocates restraint in response to Iran, China

Pentagon chief advocates restraint in response to Iran, China

TOKYO — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday that the threat from Iran’s missile program does not currently require the realignment of U.S. forces in the Middle East, striking a note of restraint shortly after the White House issued a strong warning to Tehran. Mattis, on a three-day visit to South Korea and Japan, echoed […]

President Trump’s team announces new Iran sanctions

President Trump’s team announces new Iran sanctions

Days after President Trump’s administration “put Iran on notice,” the Treasury Department of the United States announced a new series of sanctions being levied against the Arab nation for their recent nuclear-capable ballistic missile test. The sanctions cite twenty-five individuals and companies tied to Iran’s ballistic missile program, but are designed not to interfere with […]

Why Iran’s favorite weapon is the cyber attack

Why Iran’s favorite weapon is the cyber attack

In a piece written for The Cipher Brief, Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute details Iran’s weapon of choice for imposing its will on domestic and foreign threats alike — cyber attacks. Eisenstadt, as well as experts contacted by Business Insider, say that Iran has a weak conventional military that couldn’t possibly hope to push […]