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  • The Ukraine Crisis and the Gulf: an Emirati Perspective

    Whatever Putin’s initial ambitions, they were hampered by these underestimations. He has yet to bring convincing evidence to legally justify this attack. All claims arguing that Russia’s war was a pre-emptive strike against Western aggression (i.e. the presence of Ukrainian-based chemical factories or the act of self-defense against NATO’s eastward expansion coupled with threats against Russian security) are not substantiated by any evidence. People who buy these falsehoods do so more out of an anti-Western stance, and because they are fascinated by Putin’s one-man show.

  • Russia’s Use of Iranian Kamikaze Drones Creates New Dangers for Ukrainian Troops

    Over the past week, Shahed-136 delta-wing drones, repainted in Russian colors and rebranded as Geranium 2, started appearing over Ukrainian armor and artillery positions in the northeastern Kharkiv region, said Col. Rodion Kulagin, commander of artillery of Ukraine’s 92nd Mechanized Brigade.

  • Saudi National Bank completes issuance of $878m worth of sukuk

    Saudi National Bank has finalized a SR3.3 billion ($878 million) sukuk issuance in a bid to strengthen its capital base. Denominated in Saudi riyals, the offer started in late August and included a total of 3,300 bonds at a par value of SR1 million, according to a bourse filing. SNB Capital acted as the sole book-runner, lead arranger, and lead manager of the issuance.

  • Americans Back Ukrainian Goal of Reclaiming Territory

    As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, a clear majority of Americans would rather see the U.S. support Ukraine in reclaiming lost territory from Russia, even if it means a prolonged war, than see a quick end to the conflict, even if it means ceding territory to Russia.

  • Is Iran leveraging Ukraine war to access advanced Russian arms?

    The commander of Iran’s Air Force says Tehran plans to buy advanced Sukhoi-35 (Su-35) fighter jets from Russia to renew its aging fleet—an upgrade from previous reported plans to purchase Su-30 aircraft. The announcement follows US allegations that the Islamic Republic is selling drones to Moscow, in what some observers now portray as part of a quid pro quo. The Iranian foreign ministry has neither confirmed nor denied either report but insists that growing cooperation with Russia is not out of the ordinary.

  • Liz Truss and the Middle East: Where new UK PM stands on key issues

    But her record as foreign secretary and previously as a minister for international trade also offers clues as to the likely direction the Truss-led government will take in the key policy areas involving the UK and the Middle East.

  • Iran sends first shipment of drones to Russia for use in Ukraine

    Transport planes departed Iran on Aug. 19 hauling at least two types of unmanned aerial vehicles, both capable of carrying munitions for attacks on radars, artillery and other military targets, according to intelligence gathered by U.S. and other spy agencies. But while the weapons could provide a significant boost for Russia’s war effort against Ukraine, the transfer has been marred by technical problems, security officials from the United States and an allied government said in interviews. In early tests by the Russians, the Iranian drones experienced numerous failures, the officials said.

  • US Details Its Biggest Ukraine Arms Package Yet

    The almost $3 billion package will be the largest single chunk of the total of $13.7 billion that the United States has U.S. announced since Russia’s February invasion. That total is more than the annual budget of some federal programs, such as the National Science Foundation ($9.2 billion) and the Small Business Administration ($1.7 billion), according to Statista. It is larger than the annual budgets of the federal judiciary ($9.7 billion), Congress ($6.6 billion), or the Executive Office of the President ($0.6 billion). It is creeping up on the budgets of the Environmental Protection Agency ($15.9 billion), if not NASA ($24.9 billion).

  • Pride of Ukraine: Usyk beats Joshua, keeps heavyweight belts

    Oleksandr Usyk kissed the blue-and-yellow flag of Ukraine and looked to the Saudi Arabian sky as he waited to discover if he had honored his war-torn country by retaining his world heavyweight titles. When he heard the winning words “and still,” an emotional Usyk raised his left arm and pulled the flag over his face. Six months ago, he was patrolling the streets of Kyiv with an automatic rifle and defending Ukraine from the invading Russians.

  • Lebanese buyer rejects first batch of Ukrainian grain

    The buyer has raised concerns over the quality of the grain, due to the five-month delay in its shipment. The charterer is now looking for a new buyer inside Lebanon or the Middle East, an Istanbul-based ship agent with knowledge of the matter told Middle East Eye.