Mideast Discourse

US-led coalition commandos capture and kill terrorists in Idlib

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/08/21/us-led-coalition-commandos-capture-and-kill-terrorists-in-idlib/

US-led coalition commandos capture and kill terrorists in Idlib - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator According to the Syrian state media, a US-led coalition has captured a senior member of the ISIS group in Atmeh, in the province of Idlib. The exact identity of the man has yet to be disclosed, but many believe it may be the ISIS supreme leader,...

Netanyahu’s “Greater Israel” Vision Sparks Widespread Arab Condemnation

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/08/18/netanyahus-greater-israel-vision-sparks-widespread-arab-condemnation/

Netanyahu’s “Greater Israel” Vision Sparks Widespread Arab Condemnation - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reignited controversy by publicly endorsing the vision of a “Greater Israel,” a concept rooted in biblical and Talmudic narratives that has long been associated with expansionist ambitions. In a ...

Trump’s trade route between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan sidelines Russia and China: interview with Vera Yacoubian

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

Mideast Discourse interviewed Vera Yacoubian Lebanese-Armenian educator at AUB

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/08/15/trumps-trade-route-between-turkey-armenia-and-azerbaijan-sidelines-russia-and-china-interview-with-vera-yacoubian/

Trump’s trade route between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan sidelines Russia and China: interview with Vera Yacoubian - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On August 8, President Donald Trump hosted a White House summit between Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev and the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which resulted in a preliminary peace deal to end the decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabak...

Israel assassinates journalists in Gaza, while the U.S. shields Netanyahu

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/08/13/israel-assassinates-journalists-in-gaza-while-the-u-s-shields-netanyahu/

Israel assassinates journalists in Gaza, while the U.S. shields Netanyahu - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On August 10, Israel deliberately targeted a tent near Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, killing two Al Jazeera journalists, Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqa. Killed with them were photojournalists Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Alaiwa, and camera assi...

Lebanon faces a new civil war amid U.S. and Israeli pressure

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/08/09/lebanon-faces-a-new-civil-war-amid-u-s-and-israeli-pressure/

Lebanon faces a new civil war amid U.S. and Israeli pressure - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator  Beirut, August 2025 — The U.S. has welcomed the Lebanese government’s recent decisions to fully implement the terms of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, originally announced in November 2024. U.S. envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, expre...

“Russia will not be forced into peace”, interviewed with Dragana Trifković

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

Mideast Discourse News interviewed Драгана Трифковић

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/08/08/russia-will-not-be-forced-into-peace-interview-with-dragana-trifkovic/

“Russia will not be forced into peace”, interview with Dragana Trifković - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.  Trump has characterized the meeting as having achieved “great progress”.   On Friday, Trump has threatened Putin with new sanctions for failure to m...

Beirut walks a political tightrope without a safety net

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/08/03/beirut-walks-a-political-tightrope-without-a-safety-net-2/

Beirut walks a political tightrope without a safety net - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanon’s government is scheduled to convene on August 5 to deliberate the highly sensitive issue of exclusive state control over arms. The session has sparked speculation regarding potential absence or boycotts by Hezbollah-aligned ministers,...

Saudi-Syrian partnership signals economic and political support

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/07/28/saudi-syrian-partnership-signals-economic-and-political-support/

Saudi-Syrian partnership signals economic and political support - Mideast Discourse Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a plan: it’s called Vision 2030.  The underlying infrastructure of his visionary project calls for regional stability.  Syria had been in chaos and a deadly civil war beginn...

Congress discusses whether the sanctions on Syria should be lifted unconditionally following deadly violence

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

https://mideastdiscourse.com/2025/07/23/congress-discusses-whether-the-sanctions-on-syria-should-be-lifted-unconditionally-following-deadly-violence/

Congress discusses whether the sanctions on Syria should be lifted unconditionally following deadly violence - Mideast Discourse On June 22, the Financial Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. advanced a bill from Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican representing New York.  H.R. 4427 is the Syria Sanctions Accountability Act of 2025, and has prompted Democrats and Re...