MECRA
Exclusive videos: Iranian attacks on Kurdish opposition groups in Iran
On November 14 Iran carried out drone and missile attacks on Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq. MECRA co-director Jonathan Spyer...
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MECRA RESEARCH BLOG
The MECRA research blog is composed of short articles and may include outside contributions. The views expressed in these blogs and articles are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis editorial stance.
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MECRA
Sep 9, 202231 min read
Iran tensions September 2022 and onward
Our daily updates of Iran tensions in the region. IranThe daily updates are compiled by Seth J. Frantzman, Executive Director of MECRA....
MECRA
Sep 8, 20229 min read
‘Sadr will not allow a new government to be established by the Coordination Framework at any cost'
Analysis of Iraq’s current situation, and interviews with two Iraqis close to the Sadrist movement Last week, Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada...
MECRA
Jan 23, 202213 min read
A closer look at BBC Persian's full interview with Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali
Translation by: MECRA. Introduction Qais al-Khazali, 47, is the leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq organization - one of the Iraqi Shia...
MECRA
Dec 22, 20214 min read
Shia Militia protests in Baghdad: Report from within the current Demonstrations
The testimonies below were obtained by MECRA’s Iraq correspondent in interviews in December 2021 with militants of the Ktaeb Hizballah...
MECRA
Oct 13, 20219 min read
Iraqi Voices on US withdrawal from Iraq – including interview with Shia MIlitia Spokesman
The three interviews below, conducted by MECRA, represent three different Iraqi responses to the prospect of US withdrawal from the...
MECRA
Oct 12, 20215 min read
Iran’s Soft Power Campaign in Syria’s Deir al Zur Province: Advances and Limitations
By Omar Abu Layla When Islamists led by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took power in Iran in 1979, their intention was to establish a...
MECRA
Sep 1, 20217 min read
Increased worries in northeast Syria following US Afghanistan withdrawal
Text and Photos By WLADIMIR VAN WILGENBURG HASAKAH PROVINCE, Syria - During an embedded Coalition patrol near oil facilities close to the...
MECRA
Apr 16, 20215 min read
Escalating tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Yemen after the Marib war
Dr. MOHAMMAD SALAMI Iran-backed Houthis have launched attacks in Marib province since early February as the last stronghold of the Yemeni...
MECRA
Mar 29, 20217 min read
Christians in the Ninawa Plain fear the presence of Pro-Iran Militias
By MECRA researcher in IRAQ Place: Baghdad Date: March 23, 2021 Since the expulsion of ISIS from the Ninawa Plains of Iraq in 2017, local...
MECRA
Mar 9, 202121 min read
Iran tensions in the Middle East March 2021
IranThe daily updates are compiled by Seth J. Frantzman, Executive Director of MECRA. For the previous installment which covers December...
MECRA
Feb 6, 20215 min read
Al-Hol Refugees face ongoing tragedy
By OMAR ABU LAYLA With the departure of the ninth group of Syrians from al-Hol camp following the decision issued by the Autonomous...
MECRA
May 27, 20208 min read
How did Turkish UAVs outmaneuver Russia's Pantsir air defense in Libya: Lessons and ramifications
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN A sophisticated attack on the forces of the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar by the Turkish-backed Government...
MECRA
Apr 26, 202011 min read
The Egyptian-Israeli Peace and the Military Balance
One of the most common complaints Egyptians have with the treaty is that it blocks full Egyptian sovereignty of the Sinai
MECRA
Apr 15, 20205 min read
An explosion "targets Hezbollah" in Syria near Lebanon border: Context, background and implications
By MECRA STAFF A dark SUV exploded near the Lebanese border in the Syrian border village of Jdeidat Yabous (جديدة يابوس) on Wednesday,...
MECRA
Apr 10, 20201 min read
Photo gallery: Israel coronavirus lockdown 2020
Photos by Seth J. Frantzman and Jonathan Spyer Israel has been increasing the extent of its coronavirus lockdowns since mid-March. Over...
MECRA
Apr 10, 20205 min read
Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, Iraq's new PM-designate
More than four months after Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned, and after two other Prime Minister-designates failed to form a...
MECRA
Apr 2, 20204 min read
Prisoners in Iran, afraid of coronavirus, riot and attempt mass escapes
Iranians have been trying to break out of prison amid the coronavirus pandemic.
MECRA
Mar 29, 20204 min read
The US-led Coalition has now left three bases in Iraq: Qaim, Q-West and K-1
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN The US-led Coalition handed over an area of K-1 Air Base on Sunday, the third post in a week handed over to Iraqi...
MECRA
Mar 27, 20203 min read
Coronavirus in the Middle East DAILY updates by MECRA
Since the last edition (March 21-26) and the March 11 of the Middle East Coronavirus Daily Update (MECDU) we have seen major rises in the...
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