Erdogan rebuffs Moscow’s call to hand Afrin to Syrian government

Russia wants Turkey to hand control of Afrin province to Damascus, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the territory will be returned to local residents at Ankara’s discretion.

Syria

What's behind Iran's massive capital flight?

While a large amount of hard currency has left Iran in the years since the implementation of the nuclear deal, the picture is more complex than a simple case of investors rushing to move their capital outside the country.

Iran

Iran MPs call on Central Bank governor to resign as rial plummets

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Central Bank Gov. Valiollah Seif have come under heavy fire over the sudden devaluation of the rial.

Iran

Iran raises minimum wage in concession to workers

Iranian laborers are set to receive an almost 20% increase in the minimum wage in a concession from the authorities.

Iran

Iran condemns chemical weapons attacks, denies Syria’s role

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said that it was not logical for the Syrian army to use chemical weapons while it had the upper hand in the field of battle.

Syria

Culture alert: Gaza conflict spills over to cinema festivals

Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival has invited Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi as its guest of honor, while, farther west, Palestinian artists are boycotting the Istanbul Film Festival for refusing to drop an Israeli-government-backed sponsor, Art Israel.

Palestine

Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani extend circle of trust in Syria

As the Astana process seizes the initiative on Syria, the United States could put Israel-Lebanon shuttle diplomacy to the test on Hezbollah.

Israel

Conditioning American withdrawal from Syria

Now that President Donald Trump has announced US forces will be soon leaving Syria, the administration must rethink its previously stated conditions for withdrawal.

Israel

What's really driving currency depreciation in Iran?

Rather than an indicator of a poor economy, the devaluation of the Iranian currency is the result of investment behavior, and what we are witnessing now looks more like a bubble.

Iran

Russia sees benefit of nudging Turkey on to Manbij in Syria

Despite their divergent strategic goals, the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey have agreed to work together in Syria while further excluding the United States from the decision-making process.

Syria

Ankara summit focuses on Syria's fate once war ends

The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey reassured each other that they are the "big three" of the Syrian peace talks and discussed their mission to resolve the civil war.

Syria

Iranian conservatives ask supreme leader for reforms

Conservative officials and activists aligned with former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the need for reforms.

Iran