Middle East
US, Turkey risk direct military clash as they escalate war in Syria
By Barış Demir, 8 November 2018
Ankara is threatening an outright military occupation of large parts of Syria, which could provoke a direct clash with US forces.
The siege of Hodeidah: Washington doubles down on its war crime in Yemen
By Bill Van Auken, 7 November 2018
Washington’s supposed demand for a ceasefire has only produced a sharp escalation in the world’s most murderous war.
US escalates illegal economic war on the people of Iran
By Keith Jones, 6 November 2018
Speaking like a mafia don, Pompeo offered Iran “a choice” between making a “180-degree turn from its outlaw course of action” and seeing “its economy crumble.”
Europe and America clash over Washington’s economic war on Iran
By Keith Jones, 5 November 2018
Washington’s imposition of sweeping new sanctions on Iran—aimed at strangling its economy and precipitating regime change—is roiling world geopolitics.
US expands illegal, unilateral sanctions against Iran
By Mike Head, 3 November 2018
The measures Washington outlined yesterday are tantamount to a declaration of war.
Washington calls for Yemen ceasefire as Saudis escalate siege of Hodeidah
By Bill Van Auken, 2 November 2018
The hypocritical “peace effort” advanced by Washington places full blame for the genocidal war in Yemen on the Houthi rebels and Iran.
As sanctions tighten, Washington threatens Iran with “military might”
By Keith Jones, 2 November 2018
The US is dramatically escalating its illegal, economic war against Iran, with the aim of crashing its economy and imposing a pro-US regime in Tehran.
Canada upholds $15 billion Saudi arms deal after Khashoggi murder
By Roger Jordan, 29 October 2018
Ottawa’s muted response to Khashoggi’s murder has been aimed not just at upholding the arms deal, but also strengthening Canada’s predatory partnership with Washington.
Saudi airstrike kills 21 civilians in Yemen
By Jacob Crosse, 27 October 2018
Two children among the dead as the US-backed coalition prepares offensive
Turkish president brands Khashoggi killing a premeditated murder
By Peter Symonds, 24 October 2018
While Erdogan had promised to expose the “naked truth,” his less-than-full account of the killing indicates that he is exploiting the issue to further Turkish interests in the Middle East.
Europe makes delayed criticism of Saudis over Khashoggi murder
By Jean Shaoul, 23 October 2018
Britain’s quiescence reflects its dependence on the House of Saud for policing the oil-rich Gulf peninsula.
Amid crisis over Khashoggi murder
US State Department “socialists” discover the war in Yemen
By Barry Grey, 23 October 2018
The ISO and the DSA respond like political weathervanes to shifting winds within the US intelligence agencies in regard to Saudi Arabia’s current ruler.
Saudi regime admits Khashoggi was killed in its Istanbul consulate
By James Cogan, 20 October 2018
The Saudi version of events, a crude cover-up attempt, is a compilation of improbable lies.
Historian seeks release of Israel’s secret papers on Kfar Qasem massacre
By Jean Shaoul, 20 October 2018
Historian Adam Raz believes what has long been rumoured—that behind the horrific massacre in which 51 people were killed was a secret plan developed at the highest level of the Israeli state to transfer Israel’s Palestinians to Jordan.
Feigning moral outrage, the Times’ Thomas Friedman comes to the defense of the Saudi killer regime
By Barry Grey, 18 October 2018
Friedman poses the problem of how to respond to the murder of Khashoggi from the “practical” standpoint of imperialist Realpolitik.
Trump backs Saudi Arabia, suggesting “rogue killers” murdered Khashoggi
By Peter Symonds, 16 October 2018
While Trump’s remarks are absurd, the hypocrisy of his critics in American ruling circles, given their long support for the murderous Saud regime, is staggering.
US, European powers threaten Saudi crown prince after Khashoggi murder
By Alex Lantier, 15 October 2018
Evidence that America’s closest Arab Middle East ally murdered a well known journalist exposes the criminality of the entire global financial aristocracy.
As evidence mounts of Khashoggi’s murder
Trump rejects calls for US to end arms sales to Saudi monarchy
By Jordan Shilton, 13 October 2018
The imperialist powers, with the US in the lead, are up to their necks in the blood-soaked repression of the Saudi regime, which has been exposed once again by the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
US student critical of Israel detained at Tel Aviv airport for more than a week
By Jean Shaoul, 12 October 2018
Lara Alqasem, 22, was targeted because she is president of the University of Florida’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which supports the BDS campaign against Israel.
Israeli mass murder of Gazans targets children
By Jean Shaoul, 8 October 2018
The ongoing slaughter of men, women and children by the Israel Defense Forces has been treated as a non-event by the major imperialist powers and the corporate media.
Demolition of Bedouin village highlights Netanyahu’s “Greater Israel” plan
By Jean Shaoul, 4 October 2018
The authorities have already demolished 26 homes in the community, making 132 people homeless, 77 of them children and teenagers, over the last 12 years.
Iran fires missiles at Islamist “rebels” as US vows to remain in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 2 October 2018
Washington and Tehran, already at odds over escalating US sanctions, are coming into increasing conflict over military operations in Syria.
World Bank warns Gaza faces economic collapse
By Jean Shaoul, 1 October 2018
The organization warned that half of Gaza residents live in poverty and youth unemployment is over 70 percent.
Washington amplifies war threats against Iran, bullies the world
By Keith Jones, 27 September 2018
In his two days at the UN, Trump threatened much of the world, giving voice to the insatiable aspirations of US imperialism and the dissatisfaction of its ruling elite at the erosion of its economic power.
Against backdrop of UN General Assembly
Trump to intensify economic war on Iran
By Keith Jones, 25 September 2018
The US sanctions are both manifestly illegal and reckless; under international law, they are tantamount to an act of war.
Release the framed-up Istanbul airport workers!
No to pressure and intimidation against the working class!
By the Socialist Equality Group of Turkey, 25 September 2018
Construction workers framed by the government should be released instantly, and their demands for humane and decent working conditions granted.
Twenty-nine killed in attack on military parade in southwestern Iran
By Keith Jones, 24 September 2018
Tehran has accused Washington and its Gulf client states of facilitating Saturday’s attack.
Iran responds to economic crisis and US destabilisation with repression of working class
By Jean Shaoul, 21 September 2018
This year has witnessed increasing social and economic unrest among all layers of the Iranian working class over high unemployment and soaring inflation.
New Zealand government extends troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan
By Tom Peters, 21 September 2018
The announcement that troops will remain in Iraq and Afghanistan further demolishes claims that the NZ Labour Party-NZ First-Greens coalition government is a “progressive” alternative.
Russian aircraft shot down during Israeli missile attack on main Syrian government port
By Bill Van Auken, 18 September 2018
Russian sources have reported that they tracked missiles launched by a French frigate at the time their aircraft was attacked.
Hundreds arrested as construction workers at Turkish airport clash with security forces
By Jerry White, 17 September 2018
Thousands of workers downed their tools Friday after the latest in a series of fatal and near-fatal accidents at a construction site near Istanbul.
Israel bombs target near Damascus as Syrian war threatens to escalate
By Jordan Shilton, 17 September 2018
Washington supports Israel's aggression in Syria as part of its strategy to drive back Iranian influence in the country and throughout the Middle East.
Twenty-five years after Oslo, a deepening catastrophe for the Palestinians
By Bill Van Auken, 14 September 2018
The anniversary has coincided with a series of increasingly punishing measures by Washington to back the Netanyahu regime in Israel and starve the Palestinians into submission.
Bloody siege of Yemeni port resumes as US certifies Saudi concern for civilians
By Bill Van Auken, 13 September 2018
Aid groups have warned that the renewed assault on Hodeidah threatens not only to kill tens of thousands of civilians, but to push millions more into starvation.
Seventeen years after 9/11: From “war on terror” to “great power conflict”
By Andre Damon, 12 September 2018
On the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Washington is on the verge of launching a massive new Syrian offensive in defense of Al Qaeda-linked forces.
US Marines deploy to Syria for live fire exercise
By Jordan Shilton, 10 September 2018
The drill, which included air assaults backed by artillery fire, underscores that the seven-year war in Syria could rapidly escalate into a direct clash between the major powers.
Syriza jails Syrian swimmer Sara Mardini for helping refugees in Greece
By Kumaran Ira, 10 September 2018
This blatant attempt to criminalize humanitarian aid to refugees is a devastating exposure of the European Union and Greece’s Syriza government.
Civil war clashes erupt in Libya
By Marianne Arens, 10 September 2018
A fragile truce prevails in the Libyan capital of Tripoli following fierce fighting last week. The city’s Mitiga airport remains closed and fighting is continuing in the south of the city.
China denies establishing military base in Afghanistan
By Peter Symonds, 6 September 2018
Afghanistan is another key strategic arena for intensifying geo-political rivalry between the major powers.
Report by Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media undermines claims of chemical attack in Douma
By Paul Bond, 6 September 2018
In the face of the orchestrated attack on the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media as “Apologists for Assad,” the careful work by Paul McKeigue, Jake Mason, David Miller and Piers Robinson is all the more noteworthy.
Washington escalates threats over Syria as Russia bombs Al Qaeda positions
By Bill Van Auken, 5 September 2018
Claims of “humanitarian” concerns and warnings over the use of chemical weapons signal a growing threat of US intervention in defense of the “rebels.”
As IAEA confirms Iranian compliance with nuclear deal
Washington and Tehran trade threats over the Strait of Hormuz
By Jordan Shilton, 3 September 2018
The latest IAEA findings expose the Trump administration’s provocative policy, which threatens to plunge the entire region into military conflict.
Trump administration ends funding for Palestinian refugees
By Jean Shaoul, 3 September 2018
The cutoff of funding is meant to punish Palestinians for protesting Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Sharp rise in right-wing attacks on Palestinians and Israeli peace and rights activists
By Jean Shaoul, 1 September 2018
The nationality law, enshrining Israel’s status as the nation-state of the Jewish people, not the state of all its citizens irrespective of religion or ethnicity, is fanning the flames of racial hatred.
UN panel cites massive war crimes in US-backed war on Yemen
By Bill Van Auken, 29 August 2018
Washington has backed the slaughter as part of a region-wide offensive to weaken the influence of Iran and assert US hegemony over the Middle East.
Is Washington on the brink of a major attack on Syria?
By Bill Van Auken, 28 August 2018
Threats against the Assad government over the use of chemical weapons have set up the pretext for a sharp escalation of US military intervention.
US-backed Saudi regime set to behead female activist and four others
By Bill Van Auken, 25 August 2018
The barbaric beheadings, like the slaughter of the civilian population in Yemen, are carried out with the blessings of a US government that routinely pursues its predatory policies under the phony banner of human rights.
UK Labour leader Corbyn silent on Afghanistan troop deployment
By Paul Mitchell, 23 August 2018
May’s announcement is a servile response to the demands of Trump, who has reversed his election promise to reduce US involvement in Afghanistan.
Erdogan charges US “stab in the back” as Turkey crisis deepens
By Bill Van Auken, 14 August 2018
The Turkish president vowed to retaliate against “traitors” undermining the economy as the lira slid again precipitously on Monday.
Israel carries out new strikes on Gaza
By James Cogan, 10 August 2018
The latest assault, which killed three people, follows repeated threats by the Israeli government to launch another full-scale military intervention.
PayPal closes pro-Palestinian group’s account in collusion with Israeli government
By Jean Shaoul, 9 August 2018
PayPal’s action is part of a broader censorship drive by US technology and social media giants, working closely with US and Israeli intelligence agencies.
Trump menaces the world over Iran sanctions
By Peter Symonds, 8 August 2018
Under the banner of “peace,” the US is preparing for trade war and war—not only against Iran, but against all potential rivals, including its European and Asian allies.
Washington allies with ISIS as great power conflict trumps “war on terror”
By Bill Van Auken, 7 August 2018
In at least three countries where US forces are engaged in combat operations, the Pentagon and its local proxies are allying themselves with ISIS and Al Qaeda in pursuit of strategic interests.
Egypt’s military junta condemns 75 coup protesters to death
By Chris Marsden, 30 July 2018
The blood on Sisi’s hands also drenches the palms of political leaders of all the major parties in the US, Europe and other imperialist powers.
US preparing for regime change and war against Iran
By Peter Symonds, 30 July 2018
Following Trump’s belligerent threats against Iran, a national security meeting was convened in Washington to thrash out the next stage in the escalating confrontation.
US-backed Iraqi government guns down protesting workers
By Patrick Martin, 17 July 2018
Mass protests have erupted across southern and central Iraq over unemployment, the cutoff of electricity and running water, and the lack of opportunity for young people.
Israel carries out biggest air strikes on Gaza since 2014 war
By Keith Jones, 16 July 2018
In recent days, Israel has stepped up its campaign to crush resistance in Gaza, intensifying its economic blockade, shooting scores of protesters, and mounting massive air strikes.
Mass protests in Iraq’s southern provinces
By Alec Andersen, 16 July 2018
Thousands took part in mass demonstrations in southern Iraq over the weekend against the intolerable economic conditions that prevail 15 years after the US-led war for regime change.
Battle rages for Hodeidah as Yemen faces threat of mass starvation
By Bill Van Auken, 19 June 2018
With 8 million already on the brink of famine and 22 million dependent upon food aid, the paralysis of Hodeidah threatens to claim millions of lives.
US war crimes in Syria exposed
By Niles Niemuth, 7 June 2018
Unlike the hysteria generated over the fake gas attack in Douma earlier this year, the revelations of massive US war crimes in Raqqa have been treated as a non-event by the media.
Israel’s Netanyahu tours Europe to advocate action against Iran
By Jean Shaoul, 7 June 2018
For all their differences with Trump, and evident distaste for Netanyahu, the European leaders did not seek to distance themselves from his demands because they know he speaks for Washington.
Amnesty International report finds US guilty of war crimes in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 6 June 2018
The report documents the deaths of hundreds of civilians in the US siege of Raqqa last year, including the massacre of entire families.
Washington considers direct intervention in siege of Yemeni port city
By Bill Van Auken, 5 June 2018
The Saudi-led and US-backed assault on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah threatens to plunge millions more into famine.
Report exposes UK role in Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen
By Barry Mason, 21 May 2018
The US, UK and other western countries have supported the Saudi intervention. Like Saudi Arabia, they regard the war against the Houthis as a proxy conflict with Iran.
European Union tries to salvage Iran nuclear accord from US unilateralism
By Jean Shaoul, 17 May 2018
The European powers are furious because Trump’s threats cut across their attempts to exploit Iran economically and fear sanctions presage a war that will destabilise the Middle East
More Palestinian deaths as Israel attacks protests in Gaza and West Bank
By Jean Shaoul, 16 May 2018
The death toll rose above the 58 announced Monday due to two additional shootings and the death of an eight-month-old baby due to gas inhalation.
Mass murder in Gaza
By Bill Van Auken, 15 May 2018
The shooting dead of at least 60 unarmed protesters in Gaza, along with the wounding of over 2,700 more, is a war crime for which all involved bear collective and personal responsibility.
Election result in Iraq portends further political and social conflict
By James Cogan, 15 May 2018
No grouping of parties has won anywhere near the support needed to form a government.
US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal drives Ankara into a corner
By Halil Celik, 14 May 2018
Washington’s reimposition of punishing economic sanctions on Iran, and its plans to force other countries to follow suit, threatens to roil the already crisis-ridden Turkish economy.
US steps up pressure on Iran with new round of sanctions
By Jordan Shilton, 12 May 2018
Announced the same day as Israel launched its largest-ever direct assault on Iranian infrastructure in Syria, the sanctions mark a further step by US imperialism in the direction of an all-out military confrontation with Iran.
Israeli army kills one, wounds hundreds during latest round of Gaza protests
By Niles Niemuth, 12 May 2018
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that among the hundreds who were wounded in the attack on unarmed, peaceful protestors, 143 were shot with live ammunition.
Middle East teeters on brink of region-wide war after US withdrawal from Iran deal
By Jordan Shilton, 10 May 2018
After Israeli war planes targeted Iranian personnel in Syria for the third time in less than a month, Iranian Quds forces reportedly launched rockets into northern Israel.
Trump torpedoes Iran nuclear accord
By Keith Jones, 9 May 2018
In its reckless and ruinous drive for global hegemony, US imperialism, like the Nazi regime, makes diplomatic agreements only to break them when expedient.
Tensions rise with Trump set to announce decision on Iran nuclear deal
By Bill Van Auken, 8 May 2018
With Trump’s allies signaling that he will rip up the agreement, Israel has issued increasingly bellicose threats against Iran.
Against imperialism, counterrevolution and war! For a socialist Middle East!
By Johannes Stern, 8 May 2018
The following speech was delivered to the ICFI’s International Online Rally by Johannes Stern, a leading member of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei, the German section of the ICFI, and the World Socialist Web Site editorial board in Germany.
Israel denounces Iran nuclear deal after new missile strikes on Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 1 May 2018
Netanyahu’s bellicose speech indicting Iran, following on the heels of missile strikes on Syria, underscores the growing threat of a region-wide war.
Israel again opens fire on Gaza protesters, killing three and wounding hundreds
By Will Morrow, 28 April 2018
For the fifth Friday in a row, the Israeli army rained gunfire on thousands of unarmed protesters in Gaza, bringing the number killed since March 30 to 45.
Saudi airstrike kills 33 at wedding in northern Yemen
By Niles Niemuth, 24 April 2018
With the full support of the US and its allies, Saudi Arabia has been waging an unrelenting war against Yemen for more than three years, killing thousands of civilians.
US lashes out at Russia, as OPCW inspectors prepare to enter Douma
By Peter Symonds, 17 April 2018
Western governments and media that propagated unsubstantiated claims of a chemical weapons attack to justify illegal missile strikes on Syria are seeking to cover their tracks.
US-British-French missile strikes on Syria heighten danger of a catastrophic war
By Barry Grey, 16 April 2018
The bases for new provocations and fresh pretexts for military aggression are already being laid.
US and imperialist allies launch strikes against Syria
By The World Socialist Web Site Editorial Board, 14 April 2018
All of the governments participating in this new onslaught are crisis-ridden and lack any electoral legitimacy.
War fever grips German media
By Peter Schwarz, 14 April 2018
Die Welt demanded the “eradication of the Assad regime” and the deployment of “hundreds of thousands of soldiers” to Syria to “in the worst case scenario, fight Russians and Iranians.”
Israeli troops again target peaceful protests with live ammunition and tear gas
By Jean Shaoul, 14 April 2018
Yesterday’s casualties follow Israel Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s earlier pledge of a “reaction of the harshest kind.”
Momentum builds toward US-led strike on Syria
By James Cogan, 13 April 2018
The US secretary of state nominee, CIA head Mike Pompeo, left no doubt yesterday that the Putin regime in Russia is the main target behind the war crisis in the Middle East.
Escalation of Syria war sends economic and strategic shockwaves across region
By Jordan Shilton, 13 April 2018
The Russian, Turkish and Iranian economies are coming under pressure amid the growing war danger, while Israel is preparing for a wider regional conflict.
US media demands full-scale assault against Syria
By James Cogan, 11 April 2018
The New York Times and Washington Post have sent a clear message to Trump that a limited attack will be denounced as worse than useless.
Canada rallies behind US in its incendiary anti-Russia offensive
By Roger Jordan, 11 April 2018
Canada has signalled its support for the coming US attack on Syria, by pledging to work with its “international partners” to punish Syria and “its backers” with “all available means.”
UK and French forces on ground in Syria as US prepares wider war
By Halil Celik, 10 April 2018
The alleged chemical weapons attack provides an all-too convenient excuse for both countries to deepen their existing operations in Syria.
CIA stages gas attack pretext for Syria escalation
By Patrick Martin, 9 April 2018
The rhetoric of the Trump administration indicates that preparations are being made by the Pentagon for stepped-up military operations in Syria.
Trump reverses himself on Syria pullout order
By Patrick Martin, 6 April 2018
The move came after intense pressure from the Pentagon and much of the corporate media for a more aggressive anti-Russian and anti-Iranian posture.
Israel kills 17 border demonstrators in Gaza
By Jean Shaoul, 31 March 2018
Demonstrations are set to continue for six weeks until May 15, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel and the subsequent war between Israel and her Arab neighbours.
Egyptian presidential elections mark new stage in counterrevolution
By Johannes Stern, 26 March 2018
The al-Sisi regime has been mobilizing tens of thousands of heavily armed troops and security forces across the country to stifle any protest.
Trump boasts of arms deals, backs Saudi slaughter in Yemen
By Bill Van Auken, 22 March 2018
The White House gave the Saudi regime unconditional support for its war in Yemen, while cementing the anti-Iranian alliance between Washington and Riyadh.
Fifteen years since the launching of the Iraq War
By Patrick Martin, 21 March 2018
Neither the warmongers in Washington and London, nor their media apologists, have been held to account for the greatest crime of the 21st century.
Turkey’s seizure of Afrin and the growing threat of a regional war in the Middle East
By Halil Celik, 21 March 2018
While drifting away from its NATO partners, Ankara has forged closer relations, including both trade and military ties, with Russia and Iran, two main targets of US imperialism.
Threat of US attack on Syria grows amid fall of “rebel” stronghold
By Bill Van Auken, 20 March 2018
The imminent fall of the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta has been accompanied by Turkey’s overrunning of Afrin in the north, signaling a new stage in the seven-year-old Syrian war.
Russia threatens counter-strikes on US forces in Syria
By Halil Celik and James Cogan, 14 March 2018
Russia’s top military commander has vowed to retaliate against any attack on its forces in Syria, while Turkey is intensifying its offensive against US-backed rebels.
Germany: Grand coalition expands foreign operations in Afghanistan and Iraq
By Johannes Stern, 8 March 2018
No sooner had the membership of the SPD voted for the continuation of the government alliance with the CDU/CSU, plans for new military operations were announced.
Netanyahu, Trump discuss war preparations against Iran
By Bill Van Auken, 7 March 2018
Netanyahu, facing criminal indictment in Israel, and Trump, his administration in deepening crisis, met to discuss plans for an escalation of military aggression against Iran.
A new “left” appeal for imperialist intervention in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 2 March 2018
The “open letter” was clearly addressed to Washington and its allies, demanding the escalation of their use of armed force against the war-ravaged country.
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