Iran has found a new way to mess with the US Navy

Iranian naval patrol boats have again conducted an “unsafe and unprofessional” encounter with the US Navy in international waters near a critical choke point for maritime traffic, but this time they took a different approach. The Iranian navy ship, identified as a Houdong-class by the US Naval institute, came within 800 yards of the USS Bataan […]

Qatar willing to listen to Gulf concerns, Kuwait says

Qatar is ready to listen to the concerns of Gulf Arab states that have cut diplomatic and economic ties, Kuwait said on Sunday, as it tried to mediate a solution to the worst regional crisis in years. Saudi Arabia and allies Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) severed ties with Qatar last week, […]

Gulf leaders trade barbs as Qatar dispute shows no let-up

Gulf states traded public barbs on Saturday, showing little sign of resolving the region’s deepest rift in years, five days after Arab nations severed diplomatic, trade and transport ties with the tiny Gulf kingdom of Qatar. Foreign leaders expressed growing concern over the dispute, which pits Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), […]

U.S. shoots down drone after it attacks coalition fighters in Syria

A drone launched by “pro-Syria regime” fighters attached U.S. backed forces in Southern Syria on Thursday, prompting a U.S. warplane to shoot it down. This incident is the latest in a number of altercations that have placed Iranian backed militias that support Syrian President Bashar al Assad against fighters trained by the United States, the […]

As ISIS retreats in Syria, U.S. and Iran scramble for control

BEIRUT — U.S.- and Iran-backed forces are locked in a race to take Islamic State strongholds in southeastern Syria and seize a stretch of land that will either cement Tehran’s regional ambitions or stifle them. The scramble for pole position in Deir al-Zour province is likely to be one of the most consequential fights against the extremist […]

Iran’s leader lashes out at Trump, Saudis for anti-Tehran alliance

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out on Sunday against U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s leaders for their new regional alliance against Tehran, saying it would bear no fruit. Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups during his visit to Saudi Arabia in late […]

A hardline ‘chain-smoking convert to Islam’ was just named the CIA’s Iran Chief

The CIA just appointed a hardline “chain-smoking convert to Islam” as its new chief of Iran operations, possibly signaling that the agency could take an even harder stance against the regime in Tehran, according to The New York Times. Michael D’Andrea, known internally by his nicknames “Dark Prince” or “Ayatollah Mike,” previously worked on the hunt for […]

Iran Wants Military Base in Syria Near Israeli Border

The civil war in Syria has been a bloody affair and if the Iranian government gets its wish, the bloodshed will spread beyond the Syrian borders. With the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria,Iran wants a military base in southern Syria along the border with Israel and Jordan. The move would be to weaken US […]