By Durdana Najam

Ten years on Syria is still deep in wars

Having barely risen from the menacing impact of Bashar al Assad’s poor economic policies during the drought from 2007 to 2010, that brought more poverty, unemployment and social distress, a spiral of conflict, in 201, took Syria from one warring episode to another. Ten years on, with most of the country in the rubble, there was little respite even in the news in 2018 that the US would reduce its footprints in Syria.

By staff and agency

Iraqi officials say ISIS, not Iran, behind rocket attack that Trump used to justify Soleimani assassination

In a “bombshell” revelation that calls into question one of the Trump administration’s stated justificiations for assassinating Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani—a move that nearly sparked a region-wide military conflict—Iraqi intelligence officials told the New York Times that they believe ISIS, not an Iran-linked popular forces, was likely responsible for the Dec. 27 rocket attack that killed an American contractor at an air base near Kirkuk, Iraq, Common Dreams reported on Friday.

Intl. museums, archeologist condemn Trump’s threat to hit Iranian cultural sites

TEHRAN – The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the American Alliance of Museums, and a renowned Polish archeologist have condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statements on threating to target Iranian cultural sites.

By Payman Yazdani

What is the next step of revenge?

TEHRAN - The war against ISIS with the pivotal role of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani gained some important victories in Iraq and Syria, but it is all too clear that the threat posed by violent extremism and terrorism sponsored by Saudi Arabia will continue and grow in spite of such victories.

Leader: U.S. taking revenge on Hashd al-Shaabi for Daesh

TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the United States’ attacks on al-Hashd al-Shaabi was an act of retaliation against the forces for beating the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group.

By Martin Love

America has no right to slam violence (it has helped provoke or executed) anywhere

NORTH CAROLINA - From one American’s perspective, Ayatollah Khamenei jumped on Twitter this week and said something quite true even if it is not ever said nearly enough: “Our main enemy is one of the most evil, cruelest governments in the world. It supports terrorists like ISIS and the Zionists and former dictatorships such as the Shah’s in Iran and the cruel Saudi family….”

By Ramin Hossein Abadian

Paris seeking to hide support for terror in Syria through accusations

The French government urged Iran on Wednesday to refrain from destabilizing actions in Syria.

By staff and agency

Daesh relocating to Afghanistan, Zarif says

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that the Islamic State, also called Daesh, is relocating its base from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan.

By Javad Heiran-Nia

Al-Baghdadi dies for the fourth time? Fake raid? Have Zionists lied to Trump again?

TEHRAN - Robert David Steele, a former Marine Corps infantry officer and CIA spy as well as an activist for Open Source Everything Engineering (OSEE), regularly answers questions from the Tehran Times.

By Mohammad Ghaderi

Turkey and the time bomb in Syria

The Turkish attack on northern Syria has provided conditions for ISIS militants held in camps in the region to escape and revitalize themselves.

By Damir Nazarov

U.S. prefer to maintain  ISIS against Syria: Rick Sterling

 Rick Sterling is a  journalist and member of the Syria solidarity movement.Below is the full text of the interview.

By Fatemeh Salehi

Capturing Al-Baghdadi: West new pretext to plunder Libya oil 

TEHRAN - These days we see many news on media about ISIS activities all around Libya. However, such news can take on a new meaning, if we look at them in light of recent unrest in Tripoli. 

Zarif: Targeting IRGC won’t revive ISIS and Nusra

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that targeting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) won’t revive ISIS and al-Nusra terrorist groups.

By Damir Nazarov 

Zionism is disturbed by the pro-Iranian Iraq

WEST SIBERIA/ TYUMEN - At the beginning of February 2019, military intelligence of the Zionist colony (Aman) stated that allegedly "the Islamic Republic of Iran is creating military bases in Iraq." At the same time, the local newspaper "Jerusalem Post" writes that “the desire to block Iran’s ground route to Syria and Lebanon changes Iraq into the arena of a possible attack on the part of Israel.”

By Asif Durrani

Four decades of Iranian revolution

ISLAMABAD - Iran is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution amidst the worst kind of American sanctions. It is a nation under stress economically; considered an interventionist state by its GCC neighbours and their allies; and is in a state of undeclared war with Israel. Being the champion of Shia Islam, the country is deeply involved in Iraq and Syria where Daesh/ISIS have played havoc forcing millions of Iraqis and Syrians to flee their countries.

Canadian women emerge from ISIS's crumbling caliphate

Her face covered by a black veil, with just a slit for her eyes, Dura looks like dozens of other black-clad women clustered on blankets with their children, all former subjects of ISIS's crumbling caliphate in Syria.

By Asif Durrani

U.S. withdrawal and fears of uncertainties in Afghanistan

Ashraf Ghani’s government is visibly upset over the proposed understanding between the U.S. Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in return for Taliban’s assurances that Afghan territory would not be available to Al-Qaida or ISIS. President Ghani has reportedly written a letter to President Trump pleading to review his decision of hasty drawdown. He has also appealed to the international community not to repeat mistakes of the past which culminated into a disaster for the world and Afghanistan.

U.S. Caught Helping ISIS Commanders Escape from Taliban Prison in Afghanistan

TEHRAN – A large number of prisoners, all of them senior members of Daesh (also ISIS or ISIL) terrorist group, broke out of a Taliban prison in northwest Afghanistan after US troops helped them escape through a covert operation. 

By Farzad Farhadi 

Tiger’s claws in terrorists’ nest; the battle of north Syria is coming soon

TEHRAN - The Syrian army succeeded in striking a blow at the Takfiri group in their occupied territories and did away with the ISIS. Now, it is time to get rid of other terrorists, including Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra in the province of Idlib in northern Syria as the Syrian Armed Forces are seeking to wrap up the terrorist's chapter in Syria.

We’re battling ISIS for Russia and Iran, Trump claims

TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald Trump defended on Saturday his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, claiming that the American forces are killing ISIS for Russia and Iran “that are not necessarily in agreement with us.”

By staff and agency

Trump: Iran can do what it wants in Syria 

Following his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran “can do what they want” in Syria.

By Mohammad Fatemizadeh

Pentagon and CIA are against Trump / Reasons of U.S. withdrawal from Syria:  Anzour

After Donald Trump said he would withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, the Turkish military operation against Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria has been postponed. Currently, the main cast in Syria is assessing the position of their forces to continue fighting the remaining ISIS presence after the departure of the U.S.

Pentagon mulls allowing Kurdish militias to keep weapons after U.S. withdrawal from Syria

The Pentagon is considering allowing Kurdish fighters to keep their US-supplied weapons after American forces withdraw from northern Syria, breaking a promise it had made to Turkey, a media report reveals.

U.S. prepares to fully pull out troops from Syria

Donald Trump has tweeted that ISIS has been defeated as White House announced that the US has started pulling out its troops from Syria.