Middle East leaders and peoples have been as interested in the outcome of the US presidential elections as have those in the West. Although it is too early to see what a Biden policy towards the Middle East will be, the goals and policies of US administrations for the region affect the lives of millions. It is expected that Biden […]
A long-contested enclave on the fringe of the Middle East hit the headlines this month as a new upsurge of fighting claimed at least 300 lives in Nagorno–Karabakh. This mountainous enclave (known as Artsakh by Armenians) neighbours Iran, is near neighbour to Turkey, Russia and Georgia, and sits between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Despite its majority Armenian population, it was made an autonomous zone within Azerbaijan when both states came under Russian control in the 1920s. There have been cycles of clashes since the collapse of the Soviet Union and a 1988 decision by the enclave to become as an independent republic. Full-scale fighting between 1992 and 1994 killed tens of […]
Parts of the region are seeing welcome signs of peace this month, even as Lebanon struggled to pick itself up from a massive disaster in its capital. August’s explosion at the port in Beirut inflicted unprecedented damage across the Lebanese capital and wrecked its main export and import hub. Over 200 people died, thousands were injured and an estimated 300,000 […]
With war coming ever closer to their home in Syria, Revd Wael Haddad and his wife, Maram Nafe Tahhan, turned to God for guidance and began seeking to migrate to the Gulf. But every door they tried suddenly closed, until God intervened at the eleventh hour. Wael and Maram told their story on a special edition of the SAT-7 […]
While the COVID-19 pandemic continued to add new layers of distress in the region, there were signs of God at work. WATCH NOW: SAT-7 TÜRK reports on the easing of restrictions in Turkey Turkey was one of the first countries to be affected by the virus. Initially, its response was more successful than that of most European countries and […]
Public attention at home and in the Middle East and North Africa understandably turned inward in recent months as we faced the COVID-19 pandemic. But for others the pandemic has been a cover for more menacing activities. Since January 2020 there has been a surge in attacks by so-called Islamic State (IS) groups in Syria and Iraq. Eastern areas of […]
Passover, Easter and soon Ramadan will be marked in isolation in the Middle East this year. We look at how alarm over a string of man-made conflicts in the region has been overtaken by fear of a new enemy and how countries are responding. You could be forgiven for forgetting the fear that circled the globe following the US strike […]
On 15 March Syria will have been at war for nine years. Its prolonged, multi-sided conflict and the fate of the millions who are still seeking safety became the region’s headline again this month. The war in Syria entered a new phase at the end of February. After the killing of 39 Turkish soldiers in Idlib province, Turkey unleashed its […]
War and peace have been the dominant themes of the Middle East this month. Iran and the United States stepped back from a major confrontation, and a much-delayed US peace plan was unveiled for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But Syria’s suffering has continued, and there are risks of a new front opening up after clashes between Syria and Turkey. Since 2018, […]
The turning of the year gives us two occasions to renew our hope for the world. Christmas, the first of these, reminds us that no matter what comes to pass, our hope is secure in Christ. New Year’s Eve, the second of these, is a moment to reflect on the year behind us and look forward to opportunities ahead. Just […]
