Syrian forces seize al-Hawl camp as Kurdish withdrawal sparks security concerns

Syrian government forces took control of al-Hawl detention camp, which houses tens of thousands of suspected members of the ISIL terror group (also known as ISIS and Daesh), after Kurdish forces withdrew.

By Wesam Bahrani 

Israeli wars deepen domestic anxiety 

TEHRAN – Rather than increasing settlers’ sense of security, the Israeli regime’s aggression across the region has had the opposite effect.

Will Congressional Republicans defy Trump on Greenland?

In a letter to Norway’s prime minister, US President Donald Trump blamed Oslo for not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize and for acquiescing to his demand for U.S. control over Greenland. In a commentary published on the Atlantic website, the writer Anne Applebaum said the letter reveals a president untethered from history, diplomacy, or common sense.

Trump’s Greenland obsession turns Davos into a test of Europe’s resolve

TEHRAN — President Donald Trump’s appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday was a display of geopolitical brinkmanship, delivered with the swagger of a leader who treats alliances as leverage rather than partnerships. 

By staff writer 

Fox in the henhouse: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ lets Bibi off the leash

TEHRAN — The decision to include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a so-called U.S.-led “Board of Peace” for Gaza highlights the deep incoherence of Washington’s approach to Israel’s war against the enclave and its aftermath.

By Wesam Bahrani 

Trump’s Gaza gamble and risks 

TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to effectively govern the Gaza Strip raises more questions than answers.

Security vacuum feared as SDF withdraws from ISIL camp amid Syrian clashes

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it has withdrawn from a camp holding thousands of people with alleged links to the ISIL terror group as clashes with the Syrian army continue despite a ceasefire agreement.

By Sondoss Al Asaad 

From ceasefire to coercion: How Lebanon is dragged into a surrender framework

BEIRUT — What is unfolding around Lebanon’s so–called “ceasefire oversight mechanism” is not a misunderstanding nor a technical dispute—it is a deliberate campaign of pressure. 

By Shahrokh Saei 

Trump’s second term: Thunder at home, flames abroad

TEHRAN — One year after Donald Trump returned to the White House, the national mood is uneasy. Polls show that half of Americans believe the economy has worsened under Trump’s leadership, and his approval rating remains stubbornly low.

By staff writer 

Davos showdown over Greenland: Europe confronts Trump, faces its costly US reliance 

TEHRAN — Europe and the United States remain locked in a tense political standoff. That tension was on full display at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, where European leaders openly criticized President Donald Trump’s push to take control of Greenland and his threats to impose new tariffs on European countries. Their remarks underscored a growing sense of frustration in Europe over Washington’s increasingly confrontational approach.