Middle East(Page 3)

Latest in Middle East

Hysteria about drones over New Jersey obscures the fact that there is a real national security concern.
News & Features

Coast Guard Ship Stalked By Unidentified Aircraft, Iran Drone Mothership Claim Shot Down By DoD

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 12, 2024

Mohamed Bashir, who heads HTS's so-called "Salvation Government", holds a press conference in the rebel-held northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on November 28, 2024. The Syrian rebels now in power in Damascus have appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as head of a transitional government that will be in place until March 1, state media said on December 10, 2024. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
News & Features

New Syrian Prime Minister Assumes Power Amid Airstrikes, Continued Fighting

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 11, 2024

Pictures and videos have now emerged of the aftermath of Israeli strikes on the Syrian port of Latakia overnight, which destroyed at least six Soviet-era Osa II class missile boats.
News & Features

Israel Lays Waste To Syria’s Missile Boats (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 10, 2024

Israel strikes targets in Syria after Assad falls.
News & Features

Syria’s Suddenly Permissive Airspace Prompts Flurry Of Foreign Airstrikes (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Dec 10, 2024

What will happen to highly strategic Russian air and naval bases in Syria is now very much now an open question following the downfall of long-time strongman Bashar Al Assad and his flight to Moscow.
News & Features

Fate Of Russia’s Prized Syria Bases: What We Know

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 10, 2024

A huge underground bunker complex, said to be beneath the mansion of Maj. Gen. Maher al-Assad, the disposed dictator’s brother. Maher al-Assad was best known as the leader of the Syrian Army’s elite Fourth Armored Division.
News & Features

Descend Into The Depths Of The Assad Regime’s Massive Bunker

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 9, 2024

A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is pictured with its frame broken, in a Syrian regime's Political Security Branch facility on the outskirts of the central city of Hama, following the capture of the area by anti-government forces, on December 7, 2024. Syria's embattled government said on December 7 it was setting up a ring of steel around Damascus, state media reported, as rebels on a lightning advance said they were bearing down on the city. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group which has headed the assault, told fighters to prepare to take Damascus, just over a week into a renewed offensive in the long dormant conflict. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
News & Features

The Assad Regime Has Fallen, Claims Swirl Around Possible Crash Of His Escape Jet (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Dec 8, 2024

Homs, Syria.s third-largest city, is close to being captured by rebels opposed to Bashar Al-Assad.
News & Features

Syrian Rebels Closing In On Homs, Cutting Off Damascus From Coast An Imminent Possibility (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 6, 2024

5 inch Mark 45 deck gun firing.
Sea

USS Carney’s Red Sea Operations Highlight 5-inch Deck Gun’s Anti-Air Capability

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Posted on Dec 6, 2024

An anti-government fighter remotely fires rockets against regime forces, in the northern outskirts of Syria's west-central city of Hama on December 4, 2024. Syrian government forces pressed a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels around the key city of Hama on December 4 after suffering a string of staggering losses further north, a war monitor said.
News & Features

Anti-Assad Forces’ Capture Of Strategic Hama A Critical Stop On Road To Damascus

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Dec 5, 2024

A recent drill by the Russian Armed Forces in the Mediterranean has provided us with a more detailed view of the shadowy Zircon hypersonic missile, a weapon that has only been glimpsed in the past and shown up in the form of fragments after being combat tested in Ukraine. The maneuvers come as Russia’s position in Syria — home to its two major Mediterranean bases — increasingly looks to be under threat, as rebels continue their rapid advance south, threatening the rule of Bashar al-Assad, a key Kremlin ally.
Sea

Our Best Look At Russia’s Shadowy Zircon Hypersonic Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 4, 2024

An advanced Russian air defense radar system is among the equipment captured by anti-regime forces in Syria as they continue their rapid push south, with the potential for serious repercussions in the wider region. The Podlet-K1 radar system, also known by the designation 48Ya6-K1, is one of the more modern pieces of equipment in its class and would be a significant intelligence windfall if it finds its way into Western hands.
Land

Russia’s Advanced Podlet-1K Radar Captured By Anti-Assad Forces In Syria

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 4, 2024

Russian fighter base in Syria
Air

Russia’s Prized Bases Along The Mediterranean In Syria Could Be At Risk

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

A U.S. official said U.S. forces backed an SDF raid on ISIS troops in eastern Syria.
News & Features

Claims Swirl Around U.S. Strikes In Eastern Syria (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

The Qatari landing ship dock Al Fulk.
Sea

Qatar’s Strange New Warship Combines Air Defense Frigate And Amphibious Assault Ship Roles

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

Russian and Syrian airstrikes are slowing the advance by anti-government rebels.
News & Features

Airstrikes Slow Advance Of Anti-Assad Forces In Syria

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 2, 2024

Rebel forces have taken most of Aleppo.
News & Features

Aleppo Has Fallen, Assad’s Forces Regrouping As Rebels Blitz South

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 1, 2024

Fighters fire towards Syrian Army troops in the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on November 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied factions continue their offensive in the Aleppo province against government forces. The jihadists along with Turkey-backed factions launched this week a shock offensive against Syrian regime troops and sparked the deadliest battle the country has seen in years, with the violence killing so far 242 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The war monitor said most of the victims were combatants on both sides but also including civilians.
News & Features

Rebel Forces Enter Syria’s Second Largest City Of Aleppo

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 29, 2024

A Bayraktar TB3 uncrewed aircraft has successfully landed on and taken off from the Turkish Navy’s ‘drone carrier’ TCG Anadolu.
Air

TB3 Operates From Turkey’s ‘Drone Carrier’ Amphibious Assault Ship For The First Time

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Nov 19, 2024

A Turkish Air Force F-4E Phantom II, adorned with a striking Turkish flag livery, soars in a low-altitude maneuver over Eskisehir to commemorate 50 years of service in the Turkish Air Force in Eskisehir, Turkiye on November 16, 2024.
Air

F-4 Phantoms Tear Through Turkey To Mark 50 Years Of Service

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 18, 2024

F-15E Drone hunting Iranian attack
Air

F-15E Pilot Recounts Having To Switch To Guns After Missiles Ran Dry During Iranian Drone Barrage

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 15, 2024

U.S. Marine Corps F-35C Joint Strike Fighters took part in recent strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, the Pentagon has disclosed.
Air

F-35C Naval Joint Strike Fighters Fly Combat Missions Against Houthis In Yemen

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 13, 2024

Israel will buy 25 F-15IA fighters, marking the first new Eagles that the country has acquired since November 1995, when it ordered F-15I Ra’am jets. This summer, Israel had been given U.S. approval to by as many as 50 F-15IAs, as well as upgrade its F-15Is. Whether more F-15s or upgrades are added, the current wars in the Middle East mean that further acquisitions of combat aircraft are likely.
Air

Israel Executes Long Awaited Buy Of F-15IA Advanced Eagle Fighters

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 7, 2024

Notoriously underarmed F125 frigate will have to avoid the Red Sea.
Around The Globe

German Navy Confirms Its Supersized Frigate Will Avoid The Red Sea

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Nov 4, 2024

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has released a rare picture of an F-16I fighter armed with four Rampage missiles, an adaptation of a ground-launched precision-guided artillery rocket.
Air

Israeli F-16I Shown Loaded-Up With Four Rampage Stand-Off Missiles (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 30, 2024

A Russian-made, S-300 missile system drives in front of the officials' stand during a military parade marking the annual Iranian National Army Day in Tehran, on April 18, 2019. - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Middle East states on April 18 to "drive back Zionism", in an Army Day tirade against the Islamic republic's archfoe Israel. Speaking flanked by top general as troops paraded in a show of might, Rouhani also sought to reassure the region that the weaponry on display was for defensive purposes and not a threat.
News & Features

Israeli Strikes Knocked Out All Of Iran’s S-300 Air Defense Systems: Officials

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 28, 2024

IAF strikes Iran
News & Features

Israel’s Reprisal Strike Carefully Calculated, Unclear If Jets Ever Flew Over Iran

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 26, 2024

F-35 IDF
Around The Globe

Israel’s Retaliation Strikes On Iran Have Begun (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 26, 2024

Russians Helped Houthis Target International Shipping: Report
Around The Globe

Russians Helped Houthis Target International Shipping: Report

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 25, 2024

U.S. pushed back against claim Israel will delay its retaliation strike over leaked documents.
News & Features

U.S. Pushes Back On Claim Israel Delaying Iran Attack Over Document Leak

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 24, 2024

The existence of a top-secret Israeli drone, referred to as RA-01 and used for covert missions, has emerged from an unauthorized disclosure of U.S. intelligence documents which have now been posted all over social media.
Air

The Existence Of Israel’s Secret Stealth Drone Should Come As No Surprise

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 22, 2024

IAF F-16 Iran
Around The Globe

Israel Trades Increasingly Bellicose Threats With Iran As Retaliation Operation Looms

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 21, 2024

A B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, 13th Bomb Squadron Whiteman Air Force Base, Miss., prepares to be refueled by a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. during a nighttime aerial refueling mission.
Air

Questions Linger Over Australia’s Role In B-2 Spirit Strikes On Yemen

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 18, 2024

B-2 MOP Yemen iran
Air

B-2 Spirits Just Sent A Very Ominous Message To Iran

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 17, 2024

THAAD being sent to Israel
Armies

Emergency THAAD Deployment To Israel Heightens Concerns On Strain To U.S. Air Defenses

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 14, 2024

Israeli defense contractor Rafael says it has developed a new version of its combat-proven Trophy active protection system (APS) that is better able to defeat top-down attacks including drones.
Land

Trophy Armored Vehicle Protection System Gains New Ability To Defeat Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 8, 2024

Iran looks to have fielded a Chinese laser directed energy weapon capable of 'dazzling' drones or even destroying them in certain circumstances.
Land

Chinese Laser Anti-Drone System Spotted In Iran

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 8, 2024

Israel marks the first anniversary of Hamas' infamous terrorist attacks last year, which touched off what the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now described as a "war of resurrection."
News & Features

Israel Expands Ground Operation In Lebanon As World Braces For Retaliation Against Iran

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 7, 2024

Iranian attack on Israeli airbase shows some damage but nothing widespread
Air

Clearer Picture Of Damage To Israeli Airbase From Iranian Ballistic Missiles Emerges

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 4, 2024

Solo turk jet display F-16 close call
Air

Watch Turkey’s ‘Solo Turk’ F-16 Demo Jet’s Close Call During A Recent Airshow

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 4, 2024

Iran oil production targeted by Israel
News & Features

Iranian Oil Tankers Bolting From Major Export Island Ahead Of Possible Israeli Strikes

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 3, 2024

Israel apparently conducted strikes on the Syrian coast this morning, with explosions reported in the vicinity of the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base, near the city of Latakia. At this stage, it’s unclear if the Russian airbase was actually hit, deliberately or otherwise. Either way, however the attacks represent a notable escalation in terms of Israel’s willingness to prosecute targets close to Russian interests in Syria.
News & Features

Claims Swirl Around Israeli Strikes Very Near Russia’s Air Base In Syria

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 3, 2024

Iran-Israel barrage missile
Around The Globe

Surreal Missile Battle In The Sky Seen In Astonishing Video Of Iran’s Ballistic Missile Barrage

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 3, 2024

AH64 firing hellfire at drone
Air

AH-64 Apaches Practice Shooting Down Drones With Hellfire Missiles In Saudi Arabia

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 3, 2024

The world is bracing for Israel's response to Tuesday's massive Iranian ballistic missile barrage.
News & Features

World Braces For Israel’s Retaliation To Iran’s Ballistic Missile Barrage

By Howard Altman

Updated on Oct 2, 2024

The U.S. Navy said it successfully intercepted several Iranian missiles headed to Israel.
News & Features

U.S. Navy Destroyers “Successfully Engaged” Iranian Ballistic Missiles On Their Way To Israel

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 2, 2024

Ballistic missile attack from Iran on israel
News & Features

Iranian Ballistic Missiles Rain Down On Israel (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway, Howard Altman

Updated on Oct 1, 2024

Israel’s “limited” ground campaign in Lebanon has entered its second day, now named Operation Northern Arrows. The area around the border in southern Lebanon has been subject to heavy artillery shelling, while the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has again struck targets in Beirut, the Lebanese capital.
News & Features

Israel Waits For Possible Iranian Strikes As Commando Raids Into Lebanon Continue

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 1, 2024

Israeli soldiers work on the maintenance of tanks deployed in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on September 29, 2024. Israel said on September 29 that it was carrying out new air raids against "dozens" of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after killing the Iran-backed group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has also raised the prospect of a ground operation against Hezbollah, prompting widespread international concern.
News & Features

Israeli Ground Operation In Lebanon Has Begun

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Oct 1, 2024

KC-707 IAF remote vision system
Air

Israeli 707 Tanker’s Secretive Remote Vision System Revealed In Long-Range Yemen Raid

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Sep 30, 2024

Bunker Strike IDF lebanon
News & Features

Israel Executes Massive Bunker Buster Strike On Hezbollah Command Headquarters In Beirut (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Sep 27, 2024

Imagery said to show the aftermath of a highly targeted air strike on a car in Lebanon has prompted questions about whether a previously unknown miniature munition designed to produce extremely little collateral damage may have been employed.
Air

Was A Mini “Sword Bomb” Just Used To Strike A Car In Lebanon?

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 27, 2024

Around The Globe

Israel’s Potential Invasion Of Southern Lebanon Looms Larger

By Howard Altman

Posted on Sep 25, 2024

The USNS oiler Big Horn suffered a mishap at sea in the 5th Fleet region, raising logistics concerns for the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group
News & Features

Navy Resupply Ship Mishap Could Have Big Impact On Mid-East Deployed Carrier Group

By Howard Altman

Posted on Sep 24, 2024

Tu-143 Hezbollah
News & Features

Hezbollah Converted Soviet Tu-143 Jet Recon Drone Into Cruise Missile Says IDF, Just Like Ukraine

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 23, 2024

An Israeli F-16I fighter jet taking off at an unidentified location.
News & Features

Israeli Airstrikes In Lebanon Intensify

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 20, 2024

A man holds an Icom walkie talkie device after he removed the battery during the funeral of persons killed when hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon the previous day, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 18, 2024. Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon on September 17, killing at least nine people and wounding around 2,800 in blasts the Iran-backed militant group blamed on Israel.
Around The Globe

How Israel Turned Hezbollah’s Pagers Into Exploding Trojan Horses

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 19, 2024

Walkie Talkie exploded in Lebanon
News & Features

More Electronics Explode In Lebanon As Israel Declares ‘New Phase’ Of War

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 18, 2024

Hezbollah pager
News & Features

Hezbollah’s Exploding Pagers Could Be As Monumental A Cyber-Espionage Operation As Stuxnet

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 17, 2024

Israel raid
News & Features

Israeli Commando Raid In Syria Sends A Message To Iran That Its Underground Bases Are Not Untouchable

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 13, 2024

Captain of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower tells us what really went on during the ship's Red Sea combat cruise.
Sea

Carrier Captain In Combat: Our Video Interview With Christopher “Chowdah” Hill

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 10, 2024

Iranian ground-to-ground Sajil missile launches at an undisclosed location in Iran on November 12, 2008.
News & Features

Iranian Ballistic Missiles Have Arrived In Russia: Reports

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 7, 2024

Navy Capt. Chris "Chowdah" Hill, commander of the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, opens up about the carrier group's recent dangerous and grueling deployment to the Middle East.
Sea

Carrier Captain In Combat: What Went On During 7 Months Under Fire Around The Red Sea

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 7, 2024

North Korea has revealed two new kamikaze drones that look to be virtual copies, at least externally, of the Israeli-made Harop and Hero-400.
Air

North Korea Unveils Clones of Israeli Kamikaze Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 26, 2024