Greetings from Tyler, There’s way too much in play to try to address even a fraction of what’s up in the Update. Let’s just say that we’ll have fewer obnoxious blow-hards in our living rooms since they’ve started dropping like flies. From that standpoint, it’s been a pretty good week. Some guy’s wife bowed out,…
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reads documents after she arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting of the German government at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 8, 2020. LONDON – German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to travel to Moscow Saturday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting will likely focus on the Iran…
The Israeli Air Force recently destroyed an IRGC HQ. Key point: Israel is stepping up its attacks on Iran in Syria. On November 19, four unguided artillery rockets arced out from Syrian territory into Israeli airspace in northern Galilee in the Golan Heights. These were detected and promptly destroyed by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. What…
As the Syrian government is now in full control of most parts of the war-torn country, the role of Iran, as a main ally of President Bashar al-Assad, appears to be undergoing significant change. On Aug. 1, the Russian president’s special envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, said Iranian forces, together with their allied Shiite groups, had…
Fearing clashes with Israel, Assad regime and Russia look to reduce Iranian presence near Israeli border. Iran’s allies are mulling limitations on Revolutionary Guard activity in Syrian territory, and may have already begun blocking Iranian access to military facilities in the hopes of avoiding future confrontations with Israel. Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, suggested Monday…
The White House has instructed the State Department to freeze over $200 million in funds earmarked for “recovery efforts” in Syria, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The report — which came a day after Trump declared in a speech that the U.S. would be quitting Syria “very soon” — is another indication the president…
ARTICLE SUMMARY The Pentagon’s top commander in the Middle East told lawmakers today that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s gains in the yearslong civil war will bolster Iran’s ability to frustrate US aims in the region. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki A Syrian army soldier is seen securing Syrian Arab Red Crescent trucks carrying aid at the entrance of…
The threat, by Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov, was widely reported by Russia media sites such as state news agency RIA and Tass. It said Gerasimov said Russia had “reliable information” about militants preparing to falsify a government chemical attack against civilians. Gerasimov said Russia would respond to a U.S. strike on Syria…
Kiswah base, above: Tiyas air base Compound near Damascus Airport, above Al Shayrat airfield By The New York Times | Source: Institute for the Study of War. Satellite images by Bing….
If finally happened… In accordance with an energy cooperation framework agreement signed in late January, Russia will have exclusive rights to produce oil and gas in Syria. The agreement goes significantly beyond that, stipulating the modalities of the rehabilitation of damaged rigs and infrastructure, energy advisory support, and training a new generation of Syrian oilmen….