Tag: Weekly Update
On Monday, June 29th, White House staff downplayed allegations that President Trump had any knowledge of Russia offering bounty for American soldiers in Afghanistan. A car bombing that killed three U.S. Marines in April 2019 sparked the investigation into Russian influence in Afghanistan. Two intelligence officials say that Trump received a written brief on the […]
Because of the Syrian economy’s steady collapse over the last several months, the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad is becoming increasingly precarious. The United States slapped a new set of sanctions, the Caesar Act, on Syria this past week, the purpose of which is to further the economic discord in Syria and force Assad to […]
Consistent with de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s focus on social reforms, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched a national women’s soccer league. This announcement came weeks after the country launched its first female military unit. The league is the latest in a series of measures the kingdom says were taken to empower […]
On Monday, revolutionary songs rang out on Tehran’s streets as hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered to mourn the country’s top general, Qassem Suleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on January 3rd. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, wept as his voice cracked while he delivered prayers over the caskets of Suleimani […]
On Monday morning, the older sister of former ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was detained by Turkish security officials. Rasmiya Awad was found in Turkish-controlled northern Syria. According to women held by Baghdadi and “senior aides interviews after their capture,” the former leader was very secretive. They assert that Baghdadi only trusted family members and […]
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made claims that Iran is planning to attack Israel. Netanyahu spoke On Tuesday, Netanyahu spoke to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and expressed that Israel is “in the midst of the war against terror — not only against extreme Sunnis… but also extreme Shiites led by Iran….” The […]
On Monday, 61-year-old Kaïs Saïed was announced as Tunisia’s new president. Saïd earned 76.90% of the vote and gained an endorsement from the Ennahda party and former president, Moncef Marzouki. Saïed said that his win brings a significant responsibility to change frustration into hope and and that his success signals the start of a new […]
Over the past few years, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a secessionist movement focused on gaining independence for South Yemen, has attempted to mediate peace talks warring factions in the country in order to bring an end to one aspect of the conflict. On Monday, Reuters announced that Saudi Arabia “has been hosting indirect talks […]
On Monday, the Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen warned that the drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, which they had claimed to be responsible for, could continue. Drone attacks on September 14 targeted Saudi Arabia’s national oil company facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, which led to a 15% increase in oil prices a 5.7 million […]