Expansion of the ISIS Threat in Syria In addition to the factors already mentioned that prompted the US to increase its grouping in #Syria, the activation of ISIS should also be noted. Until mid-December, there were isolated mentions of an increase in the militants' capabilities, but now their potential is beginning to take shape. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that ISIS militants have seized Syrian army weapons and are now reorganizing their units, expanding control in eastern and central Syria. ❗️ In reality, the situation with ISIS has become threatening. So far, these are isolated sorties or shelling, but the terrorist group's militants are penetrating deeper not only into the Syrian Desert, but also into the Raqqa province - a significant region for #ISIS. Over the past few days, shelling of SDF positions has been recorded in Marrat near Deir ez-Zor, in Dabib in the south of Raqqa province, and crucially in Abu Khashab at the junction of the Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah and Raqqa provinces. The militants have not attacked so deeply for a long time. And this time they managed to kill three SDF members, confirming the concerns of the Iraqi Foreign Minister. The latter, by the way, also reported the escape of some ISIS prisoners from the largest prison for ISIS militants, Al-Hol on the border with Iraq, and ISIS plans to organize an attack on the facility. 🔻Against this background, French servicemen have arrived in the border areas with Iraq from the vicinity of Khan al-Jabal (the Kurds call it Khana-Sere). They were present in the northeast of Hasakah province, as some oil fields were under their control.

Which Middle East country is guilty of all this? President of #Cyprus, Nicos #Anastasiades at the UN General Assembly "way back" in 2021 already pointed the finger at Erdogan's Turkey which today is taking Iran's place of the world tyrant. Which country occupies Cyprus? Which country invaded Syria? Which country violates Iraq’s sovereignty? Which country intervened in Libya? Which country violates the sovereign rights of Greece? ... #Turkey!

[REPORT] Iran’s so-called ‘supreme leader’ seriously ill... Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's second son is a possible successor. The 85-year-old supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is gravely ill, adding to the uncertainty of an Iranian response to Israel’s weekend attack on their military installations, a report published Saturday in The New York Times said. According to the report, the most powerful political authority in the Islamic Republic is seriously ill, and there is internal turmoil over the possibility that his second son, Mojtaba, 55, might succeed him. The younger Khamenei served in the Iran–Iraq War from 1987 to 1988, and reportedly took control of the militia that was used to suppress the protests surrounding the result of the 2009 elections, which demonstrators said was rigged. His prospects for the position rose following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this year and replacement by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Khamenei’s father has held the life position for the last 35 years since his appointment in 1989, following the death of the first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini with whom he was closely allied, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.

Oil price to fall to $50 per barrel, reports WSJ citing Riyadh Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has said that #oil prices may fall to $50 per barrel unless a number of OPEC+ nations adhere to agreed output limits, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported citing sources. This comes amid an online meeting of the #OPEC+ ministerial monitoring committee aimed at estimating the current situation on the oil market, which is taking place now. Its participants intend to discuss the issue of weakening output restrictions in December, according to the publication. #Riyadh has warned a number of countries, including Iraq, against an increase in oil production, indicating that they should observe their OPEC+ commitments. The price of futures contracts of Brent crude oil for December delivery rose above $76 per barrel on London's ICE earlier on Wednesday for the first time since September 3, 2024. The price of oil is rising amid an escalation in the Middle East.

Shi’i armed groups fire three missiles at U.S. base in Syria Armed Shi’i militias from the ‘Islamic Resistance of Iraq’ movement have launched a missile attack on the U.S. military base near the Koniko gas field in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, the Sham FM radio station said, adding that three missiles were fired. Eyewitnesses reported explosions on its premises. There were no other details so far. On February 8, the US military base near the Al-Omar oilfield in eastern Syria came under a drone attack. Since October 17, 2023, US facilities in the region were targeted with 168 attacks. The Shi’i militias informed that they had conducted those operations "in response to the aggression unleashed against the Palestinians by the US-backed occupation regime of Israel.".

U.S. delivers strike on Iraq killing Kata’ib Hezbollah commander The U.S. forces delivered a strike on Iraq killing a commander of the Kata’ib #Hezbollah Shiite group, the U.S. Central Command (#CENTCOM) said. "At 9:30 p.m. (Baghdad Time) February 7, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S. service members, killing a Kata’ib Hezbollah commander," it wrote on its X page.

#IranSatire - The "military strategy" of Joe (Biden) Tzu Biden's "art of war" "Give your enemies enough time to evacuate their bases before you attack them" From a Telegram channel identified by the Revolutionary Guards quoting Military Eye. They are of course laughing about the Americans' advance notice of the attack in Iraq and Syria.

CENTCOM Statement on U.S. Strikes in #Iraq and #Syria At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aired vehicle storage, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.

[JUST IN] U.S. base in eastern Syria attacked by drones A US-controlled military base located near the Al-Omar oil field in the eastern Syrian region of Deir ez-Zor, was attacked by drones on Thursday, the Al Mayadeen television reported. According to the report, the facility was attacked by three UAVs. Sounds of "powerful explosions" were heard. No information about potential damage is available at this point. After the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, rocket and drone attacks on U.S. military bases in Syria and Iraq have become more frequent. Shiite militias have warned that they will increase the number of armed operations in Syria and Iraq if the U.S. continues to provide military aid to Israel. A large share of the Syrian provinces of Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, located in the east and northeast of the country, is currently controlled by the US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. Since 2015, the US command has established nine military bases in this area. At the end of 2019, then U.S. President Donald Trump approved a plan that would leave several hundred US troops in Syria. One of their main tasks was to ensure control of oil fields in the northeast and east of the country.

U.S. to respond to attack on its forces in Middle East, says White House The U.S. government is now focused on responding to a recent strike targeting a US military base on the Jordanian-Syrian border, U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters. When asked whether the US was planning to act independently or in coordination with its partners to retaliate for the attack, Kirby replied: "We're focusing on US response, they killed American troops." He also said the Islamic Resistance in Iraq group was responsible for the attack, which left three US service members dead and over 40 wounded. "We believe the attack in Jordan was planned, resourced and facilitated by an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which contains multiple groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah," he said. When asked whether Kata'ib Hezbollah played a key role in the attack, the US official replied: "This certainly has the earmarks of the kinds of things Kata’ib Hezbollah does." However, he emphasized that "attribution that our intelligence community is comfortable with is that this was done by the umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq."