Middle East

World News

After A Car Bomb Killed A Syrian Rocket Scientist, Some Are Blaming Israeli Intelligence

6:25pm August 07, 2018

A Syrian rocket scientist was allegedly assassinated by the Israeli spy agency, Mossad, in a car bomb on Saturday. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks to Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman about the assassination and Israel's wider strategy of targeted killings.

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World News

Diplomatic Dispute Between Saudi Arabia And Canada Continues To Escalate

5:54pm August 07, 2018

by Jackie Northam

The Saudi government announced it will stop its national airline from traveling to Toronto. This comes after the Gulf nation expelled the Canadian ambassador and recalled its own ambassador.

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People walk at the old main bazaar in Tehran, Iran, last month. The strained Iranian economy is bracing for the impact of new U.S. sanctions that went into effect Tuesday.

Iran Braces For New U.S. Sanctions To Further Cripple Economy

4:35pm August 07, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

The new sanctions, which were previously lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, severely limit Iran's ability to buy U.S. currency and issue sovereign debt, and place restrictions on trade with Iran.

'Into The Hands Of The Soldiers' Explores How The U.S. Contributed To Chaos In Egypt

4:15pm August 07, 2018

by Terry Gross

New York Times correspondent David Kirkpatrick says the Obama White House watched Arab democracy fall, and now the Trump administration is embracing Egypt's autocratic president.

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President Trump's Special Assistant Weighs In On Iran Sanctions

11:21am August 07, 2018

Victoria Coates, special assistant to President Trump and acting senior director for the Middle East at the National Security Council, speaks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about the new sanctions on Iran.

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Wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus, in a photo from April.

World News

Syrian Rocket Scientist Reportedly Assassinated By Israel's Mossad

7:47am August 07, 2018

by Scott Neuman

Aziz Asbar, who is said to have worked on Syrian rockets and chemical weapons, was killed over the weekend when his car exploded. The New York Times says he was targeted by Israel.

World News

Iran's Economy Could Take A Big Hit After U.S. Reimposes Sanctions

7:14am August 07, 2018

by Peter Kenyon

The U.S. reimposes sanctions it lifted under the nuclear deal with Iran, and tells other countries they could be cut off from U.S. markets if they keep trading with Iran.

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U.S. Restores Economic Sanctions On Iran

7:09pm August 06, 2018

by Michele Kelemen

The U.S. phased in sanctions on Iran that it had lifted in the nuclear deal. These are meant to signal to other countries that they should stop trading with Iran or risk losing access to U.S. markets.

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The Toronto skyline, seen in silhouette in 2015. The same skyline was used in an image posted by an account reportedly linked with the Saudi Arabian government, which featured an airliner headed toward the needle-shaped CN Tower.

World News

Threats Fly And Flights Are Grounded Amid Dust-up Between Canada and Saudi Arabia

6:50pm August 06, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

And one tactless tweet was deleted. Saudi officials removed the post, which seemed to allude to Sept. 11, but that didn't ease a dispute that erupted after Canada criticized the kingdom last week.

An Iranian woman walks past a wall mural last month in downtown Tehran, Iran.

U.S. On Verge Of Restoring Some Iran Sanctions After Leaving 'Horrible' Deal

3:51pm August 06, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

The Trump administration says penalties will snap back into place overnight against several sectors of the Iranian economy, embarking on a multistep return to U.S. policy before the 2015 nuclear deal.