Manama, Asharq Al-Awsat—Bahraini authorities arrested several people on Wednesday, in connection with a terrorist attack which took place on Tuesday and was the deadliest bombing in the country since March 2014, the Bahrain News Agency reported. The attack took place outside a girls’ school in
I remember from my youth the popular Lebanese saying, “Everything in Lebanon is ‘zift’ [asphalt] except the roads!” Metaphorically, asphalt, or rather, “zift,” came to mean any bleak and slimy bad situation. However, the Lebanese now recall those “zift” days with nostalgia, simply because their curr
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—We are still a long way before the “deal” on Iran’s nuclear program becomes reality, if ever. However, even if it doesn’t, the process has already produced potential winners and losers. The initial deal, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has no legal
Jeddah and Istanbul, Asharq Al-Awsat/Reuters—Saudi Arabia on Tuesday said it supports Turkey’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz said during a telephone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tue
The officially announced aims behind Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s latest tour of the Gulf include improving relations with some of Iran’s neighbors, explaining the ramifications of Tehran’s nuclear deal with the P5+1, and assuaging any concerns those countries may have regarding t
Riyadh and Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on Monday criticized recent “aggressive statements” made by Iranian officials towards other countries in the region, following Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers on July 14. Jubeir, who was meeting wi
Brussels and Istanbul, Reuters—NATO offered political support for Turkey’s campaign against militants in Syria and Iraq at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signaled the alliance may have a “duty” to become more involved. Turkey requested urgent co
Coinciding with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to Kuwait on Sunday, Iran launched a clearly organized media campaign aimed at other countries in the region, whether friend or foe. Some of this was carried out by Iran’s allies—Hassan Nasrallah, Bashar Al-Assad, Nuri Al-Ma
Riyadh and Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Fighting on the ground in Yemen continued on Monday despite a five-day ceasefire declared by the Saudi-led coalition targeting the Houthis in Yemen, according to Houthi-affiliated media outlets. The Saba news agency, which is controlled by the Houthis, said the gro
Tel Aviv, Asharq Al-Awsat—Israeli police attacked dozens of Palestinian worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday, after clashes broke out when police blocked access to the site to escort a group of ultranationalist right-wing Israelis to the compound. Police used rubber-coated bullets and
Beirut and Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Turkey and the United States are to begin a joint offensive that will see them coordinate airstrikes on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), informed Turkish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday. The sources, who requested anonymity, said Washington and A
Riyadh, Sana’a and Aden, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Saudi-led coalition targeting the Houthi movement in Yemen declared a five-day humanitarian ceasefire on Saturday, according to a statement by the coalition. The statement also said however that airstrikes would resume immediately if Houthi militias carri
The official Turkish version is reasonable, despite what skeptics might believe. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was most likely behind the suicide bomb attack in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruç last week, which left more than 30 people dead. This latest action by ISIS is not surpr
Dubai and Manama, Reuters/Asharq Al-Awsat—Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif began a charm offensive in the Gulf on Sunday to defend a nuclear deal seen by some Arab states as heralding greater Iranian support for armed groups and governments opposed to the Gulf states. Most of the G
Ankara, Reuters—Turkish fighter jets and ground forces hit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in Syria and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) camps in Iraq overnight on Saturday, in a campaign Ankara said would help create a “safe zone” across swathes of northern Syria. Turkey
Aden, Asharq Al-Awsat—Fighters loyal to Yemen’s government-in-exile on Friday clashed with Houthis inside the rebel-held Al-Anad Air Base, the country’s largest, after capturing most of the surrounding area, a senior defense official said. At least 12 were killed and dozens injured when a Katyusha r
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters have in recent days stepped up attacks on the rebel-held Al-Zabadani in an effort to force opposition fighters to accept a deal that would see them leave the border city without their weapons, Asharq Al-Awsat has learned. “Hezbo
Ankara, AP—Turkish warplanes struck the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group targets across the border in Syria on Friday, government officials said, a day after ISIS militants fired at a Turkish military outpost, killing a soldier. The bombing is a strong tactical shift for Turkey, which ha
Commenting on the multiple crises the world faces today, US President Barack Obama has often boasted about his “21st century diplomacy” presumably in contrast with the old school that, he claims, must now be relegated to the dustbin of history. In a sense, Obama has succeeded in marketing a new dipl
Sana’a and Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s ex-president, and the Houthi movement are in “secret” talks with Western and Arab diplomats to help end the war in the country, Asharq Al-Awsat has learned. “[Saleh and Houthis] are actively and secretly seeking… to resume UN
