Conflict and corruption in the Middle East have a large impact on the environment, although it is difficult to record and punish these crimes. Some crimes include makeshift oil refineries in Syria and the destruction of agriculture or poaching of rare wildlife in Yemen. Open-source intelligence, or information that is

Amid heightened tensions with the US, Iran announced on Monday that it had resumed enriching uranium to 20% purity. This is prohibited under the 2015 nuclear deal forged with the US and is likely to further escalate tensions between the two countries. Iran also allegedly seized a South Korea chemical

On Tuesday, Army General Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Taliban negotiators for two hours in Doha, Qatar. Gen. Milley then flew to Kabul to discuss the peace process with Ashraf Ghani, the president of Afghanistan. The peace talks aim to reduce violence across

On Sunday, during a regional security forum held due to Us brokered normalization deals between Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors, tensions seemingly escalated between the Jewish state and Saudi leadership. The blunt exchanges over longstanding issues come just two weeks after the two countries’ leaders met in a secret

Michael Sexton is the Cyber Program Director at the Middle East Institute. His latest book Cyber War & Cyber Peace in the Middle East: Digital Conflict in the Cradle of Civilization, is an anthology of essays examining flashpoints and developments in conflict in the cyber domain in the Middle East in the past 10 years. Following the broad scope of the Middle East Institute’s Cyber Program, the book examines not only traditionally defined cyber warfare, but also information operations, authoritarian control of cyberspace, and surveillance issues. This is a solid chronicle the history of this new domain in the unique geopolitical setting of the Middle East. Readers will be informed on history and better able to dialog on policy proposals that can make for a more peaceful and equitable cyberspace.

Any OODA Network member who would like a free copy of this book can receive one by providing your mailing address at the Google form at this link.

Sandra Loli, an American humanitarian aid worker, and Mikael Gidada, an American businessman, have been released by Houthi militants in Yemen on Wednesday due to a trade that returned more than 200 of the Iran-backed group’s loyalists to the country. The American hostages were freed on a Royal Oman Air

Researchers have been investigating a hack-for-hire cyber threat group named Bahamut and have alleged that the group was involved in attacks against government officials and businesses within the Middle East and South Asia regions. According to researchers, the group hits its targets with sophisticated credential harvesting attacks, phishing campaigns, zero-day

On Tuesday, US President Trump presided over the signing of a peace agreement between US ally Israel and two Gulf Nations, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Trump has called this advancement in Middle Eastern peace efforts the foundation for a broader alignment against Iran. If more countries within the

Eagerly anticipated negotiations between opposition parties within Afghanistan’s complex political specter are likely to be contentious, according to the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. However, the only way to resolve conflict within the region is likely through negotiations between the two parties, following decades of relentless conflict. Pompeo’s comments

The Middle East’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 50,000 as of Thursday as the pandemic continues to affect countries socially and economically. This casualty count was determined by the Associated Press through analyzing numbers offered by health authorities within the region. However, the numbers may be an undercount as